


The Royal Hunt

by SugarMaddy



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Anal Sex, Attempted Seduction, Bottom Hanzo Shimada, Coitus Interruptus, Dirty Talk, Frottage, Genji Shimada is a Little Shit, M/M, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Praise Kink, Public Sex, Rough Sex, Seduction, Top Jesse McCree, Unrequited Crush, Wet Dream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2018-12-30 13:22:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 32,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12109623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarMaddy/pseuds/SugarMaddy
Summary: Prince Jesse is always up for a challenge. The thrill of the chase is enough to get his blood pumping in all the right ways. So imagine his surprise when he happens to bump into a VERY attractive knight during one of his parents' obnoxious parties.A knight that knocks Jesse on his ass, both literally AND figuratively.





	1. Let the Hunt Begin!

**Author's Note:**

> eyyyyyyyy~
> 
> so this started as a prompt on Tumblr that I ended up having a lot of fun with. after getting a pretty positive response, i decided to turn it into something of a side project while i finish up my main works. it'll be a few chapters - just something for me to have fun with. 
> 
> hope you like it!
> 
>  
> 
> EDIT: This fic is NOT going to be extensive, deep, or anything in between. If you're looking for thorough worldbuilding and accuracy between knight and noble classes, this is the wrong piece of writing for you. This is something FUN for ME and I'm hoping others too.
> 
> Just a warning. Don't go into this expecting too much. Seriously.

It was the same old song and dance. He should have been numb to it by now. The banality of these so-called ‘get togethers’ that his parents threw every few months or so: they were simultaneously exhausting and boring as shit. By the end of the night, Jesse was probably going to be nursing one hell of a headache and was probably going to smell like someone else’s perfume. Or cologne. The patrons of these balls didn’t seem to be too picky once they had a bit of booze in them.

And being the prince meant they would be hanging all over him no matter what he looked like.

He chanced a glance at his parents, hand in hand, as they sat at the broad banquet table a few seats down. His mother had that high-pitched sort of trilling laugh that cut through the roar of the crowd. Normally it was endearing, but on occasions like this, it ripped up and down his spine like a cold draft. His father, meanwhile, was already half in the bag and practically had his tongue in her ear. Jesse pulled a face. _Gross._

As he pushed himself away from the full roasted chicken in front of him, he thanked his lucky stars that Gabe, his personal advisor, had seen fit to hide a bottle of harsh grain alcohol in their secret spot in the mostly-empty east tower of the castle. He was going to need it.

Jesse extricated himself from the hall without so much as a wave in his parent’s direction and made his way down the hall, smoothing down his long overcoat and shoving the small ornamental crown he wore into his waistband so it could hang there. Damn thing made his head itch. Maybe he could get Gabe to talk to someone and convince them to change it into a hat-

_Oof!_

He’d been so lost in thought as he’d turned a corner that he’d completely missed the guard coming from the opposite direction. Both promptly slammed into each other with the force of a bag of bricks, but, since the guard was head-to-toe in metal armor, he remained standing while Jesse landed on his ass.

And then there was an arrowhead in his face.

The guard was actually sporting a _bow and arrow._ For the second time, Jesse pulled a face and looked up at the face of his assailant – or at least where the face _should_ have been. Being covered by one of those stupid metal helmets meant Jesse couldn’t tell one way or another who this guy was.

But after a few beats of silence, there came a loud, panicked huff from beneath the steel and the arrow was quickly withdrawn, arrows stowed and bow sheathed. The guard extended a hand, helped Jesse to his feet, and quickly bent at the middle in an exaggerated bow.

“Your Highness!” the voice, gruff and gravelly with a hint of an accent that Jesse couldn’t place, said in a rush. “Forgive me, I was on my way to my post and am admittedly a bit overzealous thanks to the commotion tonight.”

Jesse raked an eye over him when he stood to full height again. The guy was almost a head shorter than Jesse himself, even with the tall, feathered helmet adding some height. His armor was custom-made, Jesse noted, much like Jesse’s arm, to accommodate a man of much broader chest than standard-issue was equipped to handle. It made Jesse cock a brow, but since the guy was waiting for an answer (or to be sent to the chopping block), the prince didn’t linger on it more than he had to.

“Eh, it’s fine, soldier,” he said with a shrug. “More excitement than I was expectin’ to have tonight, that’s for sure. What’s yer name?”

“Hanzo, sire,” Jesse heard him say.

“Kinda short for a member of the palace guard, ain’tcha?” Jesse commented, smirking as he dusted off his arm. The knight sputtered from behind the helmet and tucked his chin back in surprise. It was evident that he wanted to retort with something, but as Jesse was used to, the knight bit his tongue and straightened his shoulders.

“I was the best in my class, sire,” Hanzo replied coolly. “Please do not allow my… _height_ to place doubt in my abilities.”

Okay, so the guy didn’t sound like just some country bumpkin who decided to join the military to get away from a life of wheat-tilling. Jesse cocked his head to the side and reached into his overcoat, retrieving a short, blunted cigar that he’d rolled earlier that day and moved to light it.

“Take off your helmet,” he ordered coolly. Hanzo once again sputtered.

“Sire, I am on-duty-“

“I’m sorry,” Jesse said, folding his arms. “Coulda _sworn_ I told you t’take off the helmet. Don’t reckon I asked you for your work schedule.”

When Hanzo growled softly under his breath, Jesse’s eyebrows raised up into his hairline. That was more moxy than he usually got from the castle staff. But was Hanzo _really_ going to deny a direct order when he’d been so apologetic earlier? Why did that turn Jesse on?

No, apparently, as he sighed heavily and reached up to slide the metal from above his shoulders.

When the sheet of black hair fell down and landed softly around the brushed steel of Hanzo’s armored shoulders, Jesse was honest-to-god _in love._

This had to be the most _beautiful_ man he’d ever seen. And he’d been in rooms with dignitaries from far-off lands that had never seen a broom, much less touched one. Hanzo didn’t need jewels or velvet or any of that ornate bullshit that they compensated themselves with. His cheeks were a ruddy red thanks to Jesse’s scrutiny, the bones of which were high and pronounced, framing a positively _regal_ nose. Dark black eyelashes brushed over pale skin each time he blinked, deep brown eyes staring off to the side to keep from meeting Jesse’s gaze. He was clean-shaven and about Jesse’s age. _Damn perfection._

The prince let out a low whistle and Hanzo scowled.

But it wasn’t a moment later when Jesse was leaning against the wall beside him, the arm holding the cigar above his head. Hanzo blinked in surprised and allowed himself to be corralled by Jesse moving into his space, a jerky sound of metal-on-metal filling the empty corridor as he pressed his back to the brick behind him. Jesse just stared down at him, his commanding air suddenly replaced by a cocky smile and a swell of arrogance. He was the _prince_ , damn it. Arrogance was practically his middle name.

“Well now. I have half a mind t’outlaw those helmets if it means they’re hidin’ somethin’ as pretty as you behind ‘em,” he cooed. If it was possible, Hanzo just looked even more confused and uncomfortable.

“Sire, we would be at a distinct advantage if you outlawed helmets.”

“Jesse.”

“…pardon?”

The prince’s grin smiled, and he leaned down further, toeing into Hanzo’s personal space little by little.

“Name’s Jesse. Call me Jesse.”

Hanzo swallowed hard and finally locked eyes with the prince leaning over him, his blush radiating down his throat. _God_ it was cute. Jesse couldn’t help but wiggle his brows at him and offer a charming wink as he sucked a drag off his cigar and blew the smoke to the side. Hanzo just flushed harder and bit down on his lower lip.

“An’ now that I’ve gotten a glance at that pretty mug of yours, I’d say ol’ Jesse would like a chance to get t’know _Hanzo_ a lil’ better,” he purred, leaning down to speak directly into Hanzo’s ear. The knight sucked in a breath and swallowed hard again, and Jesse chuckled lowly. “I was plannin’ on grabbin’ a drink and headin’ off somewhere more…private-like. But now I can’t think of anythin’ else I’d rather do than be guarded by someone as gorgeous as you.”

“Sire- _er…Jesse_ …” Hanzo began, and Jesse could _swear_ his silk dress pants were less tight a moment before, “that would be…I am on-duty…drinking at such an hour would be a definite breach in security…”

“Mm, okay then. Maybe we skip the drinks,” Jesse grinned, princely charm rolling off him in waves. “Maybe we just head out on that balcony an’ I get all romantic for you.”

“…romantic?” Hanzo breathed.

“Mmmm _hm,”_ Jesse crooned. “Darlin’, we can sit out under the stars…I can tell ya all about how much I wanna run my fingers through that silky hair o’yours…an’ how pretty that skin’d look under the moonlight. Bet you look _real_ nice under that bulky armor, too. A real work of art. I’d _love_ to see how far down that blush goes.”

Hanzo’s eyes had gone half-lidded somewhere in the middle of the speech and Jesse grinned when he felt one of his metal-plated hands press against Jesse’s chest. _Bingo._

“Bet those lips taste like sweet wine,” Jesse continued, tipping Hanzo’s chin up with a thumb and forefinger. If he could _just_ get his lips on him, it would be all over. The knight was already breathing a bit off-kilter, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips as his eyes trailed to Jesse’s. The prince grinned as he got nearer…and nearer…

And then he was back on his ass again. God, he was gonna have a damn _bruise._

“I am sorry, Your Highness!” Hanzo yelped, eyes wide as he quickly slammed the helmet back down over his head. “M-my post! I have to get to my post!”

And then he was gone. A gold feather that had gotten loose from his helmet was the only reminder of his presence as it drifted down to land beside Jesse’s leg. The loud jangle of metal from his armor slowly dissipated as he moved further and further away from the prince on the ground.

Sitting alone in that damp hallway, Jesse couldn’t help but break into a wide, shit-eating grin as he picked up the feather and twirled it between his hand. Okay, so maybe these parties _weren’t_ such a bad thing.

“See ya around, Sir Hanzo,” Jesse chuckled to himself. Oh, but this was far from over. Jesse’s nickname wasn’t “Sharpshooter” amongst the castle staff for nothing. If Jesse wanted something, or _someone_ , he was going to get them. And _fuck_ did he want Hanzo. Armor thrown to the side, clothing crumpled in a corner while he was splayed out against fine silks and breathing Jesse’s name in a wine and lust-filled haze. A prize fit for a king.

The prince whistled as he retrieved the bottle of grain alcohol from behind the loose brick and took a long swig.

This was going to be _fun._


	2. In Hot Pursuit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this shit is fun to write. lol  
> enjoy!

The rest of that night and the beginning of the next day passed by in a blur. Jesse couldn’t decide if the liquor in his blood had been his ultimate undoing or if it was the constant, slick fantasies of plush lips and soft thighs wrapped around his waist. Or better yet – his _head._ The knowledge that Hanzo was somewhere in the castle, working and _not_ being ravished instead like he so desperately deserved was driving Jesse crazy. A man like that deserved all the pleasures the world had to offer, and come hell or high water, Jesse was going to be the one to give it to him. And then give it again. And again. And _again._

He’d even made the mistake of letting his thoughts drift to the kinds of _sounds_ Hanzo might make and had had to finish himself off _twice_ before breakfast. This just would not _do._

Jesse was a _prince_ , for fuck’s sake. He had to keep reminding himself of the fact each and every time Hanzo’s beautiful visage popped back into frame. He could have _anyone_ – plenty of maids, stable boys, and even dukes and courtesans had shown interest. Half of them weren’t bad looking either.

But no. It _had_ to be Hanzo. It _had_ to be the one that had slipped through his fingers like long locks of silky black hair, only to be bunched up in his fist and _tugged-_

“Your _Highness_ ,” a rather exasperated voice interrupted, jogging Jesse from a _very_ pleasant train of thought. The prince, who had been brushing the tip of that golden feather along the scruff of his jaw distantly, even had the nerve to look _irritated_ by the man who was currently looming over him with a book open in his hand.

Oh. That’s right. Gabriel had been prattling on about some _statute_ his father’s father four times over had put into place to protect the commonwealth. Or something.

“ _What_?” Jesse asked, putting the feather down and shifting in his seat. He’d been half-hard all goddamn _day_ and now he was being expected to pay attention to this garbage? Of _course_ he was. This was Gabriel he was talking about – the hardass of all hardasses. And from the way he was glaring at the young prince, Jesse was about to get the ‘you’ll never be an effective ruler if’ speech.

“Mind enlightening me on what has you so distracted?” his mentor asked, snapping the book shut and slipping it under his arm. On reflex, Jesse opened his mouth to respond, but closed his mouth with an audible click when his brain finally caught up. He told Gabe basically everything normally, but this…this was just off-limits. It was like discussing his sex life with his _father._ Just…absolutely not.

“Nothin’” he said with what he hoped was a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. It made the red cloth of his dress finely pressed coat slide up a little on his shoulders. He’d picked the one with the black filigree sewn into the front and the gold accents – the one that had a high collar and fit snugly on his shoulders. And if he _just_ so happened to run into a _certain_ raven-haired knight, well…at least he was dressed to impress. _And_ if it just so happened that his pants were a bit _tighter_ around his ass than normal-

“ _Your Highness,”_ Gabriel huffed again, slamming the book down loudly on the table in front of him. Jesse visibly jumped and then glared up at the older man.

“ _What_ , Gabriel? Fuck!”

“ _Language!_ ” he chided, standing up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Jesse, how many times do I have to tell you to _pay attention?_ ”

“A million and _one_ , I guess,” he huffed, leaning back to fold his arms over his chest.

“I’m not doing this for my health, you know,” Gabriel grumbled. “You won’t ever be an effective ruler if you don’t remember the statutes! And for _god’s sakes_ , watch your fucking _mouth.”_

“Yeah, yeah, sorry Gabe,” Jesse relented, blowing a stray strand of hair from his face. “Must not’a got a lot of sleep last night.”  

Gabe stared him down, not buying his shit for one _second_ , and then rolled his eyes and flopped himself into the wooden chair across from him, propping his feet up onto the fine mahogany. They both knew that if Jesse’s father caught him with his boots up on his prized furniture there’d be hell to pay, but Jesse wasn’t going to bust his balls over it. _Especially_ since Gabe was the best damn mentor a pain-in-the-ass like him could ask for.

With a deadpan expression, Gabe picked up the golden feather between a gloved thumb and forefinger and twirled it at Jesse.

“ _This_ have something to do with your so-called ‘lack of sleep’?”

Jesse pointedly looked elsewhere and whistled to himself, twiddling his fingers. “No idea what you’re talkin’ about. I was…uh...practicin’ my penmanship.”

“Funny,” Gabe commented. “Because _this_ looks like a feather from the helmets being issued to the new royal guard recruits.”

Shit. He’d been caught. He should have _guessed_ that Gabriel would be the one to catch him. Oh well. He was the _prince_ , he had to remind himself yet again. He could do pretty much whatever he wanted. So, instead of denying it, he just fixed Gabriel with a cocky smirk.

“You know Jack will go straight to the king if he finds out you’re screwing one of his recruits,” Gabe sighed. “Really, kid, I thought you’d have better taste.”

“He’s not the one warming my bed, unlike _someone_ I know,” Jesse grunted. “So can’t say I give a shit what Jack does or doesn’t do. Unless…y’think he could use his whole ‘Captain of the Guard’ powers t’get me some alone time with one o’those recruits? Y’know. _Hypothetically_ speakin’ _.”_

Gabe just fixed that deadpan expression at him again and pressed his palms flat against the table to slide his chair back.

“I weep for this kingdom,” he muttered. “I really do.”

“Oh come _on,”_ Jesse laughed, giving Gabriel a playful punch to the shoulder. The older man just ruffled his hair and shoved him away.

“Go down to the stables and practice your riding. I’m sick of trying to teach you when your brain is being overrun by your dick.”

“ _Language_ ,” Jesse winked, but slipped from the door with a bounce to his step and a whistle.

 

* * *

 

 

For that time of day, the stables were blissfully empty. The day was warmer than usual, causing Jesse to slip off his thick coat in favor of sporting his tucked white button down, the shirt unbuttoned down to his mid-chest to let the air circulate. The horses – all pedigreed white mares and stallions, whinnied at his approach and nickered into his hand as he let it drag along the stall doors. The sound of his metal fingers scraping along the wood distracted him from the frame of mind he’d been in _all damn day._

Though…it proved to be only temporary.

A few of the recruits had set up sparring dummies near the empty courtyard outside, swapping their heavy armor for lighter, padded cloth shirts and breeches. Jesse barely paid them any mind while he brushed his fingertips over the velvety muzzle of his favorite mare, only half-registering the grunts and hollow striking of wood against wood.

Well. Until he caught a glimpse of black hair.

If he’d thought Hanzo was breathtaking in a suit of armor, the man was positively _stunning_ in the billowy beige shirt he was sporting, long hair pulled back and sticking to his face with a thin sheen of sweat. He was practicing with his bow and arrow away from the other men, the muscles of his arms bunching attractively as he pulled back the string and let the fletching brush over the flush of his cheekbone. Jesse was _transfixed_ , his eyes trailing down and down and then back again. From his vantage point, he could even see the knight working his lower lip between his teeth in concentration. When he finally released it, it was puffy and pink and _begging_ to be sucked and played with.

This was just… _so_ dreadfully unfair.

The prince managed to drag his eyes away from his quarry long enough to scope out for Commander Morrison, who was no doubt stalking around, sticking his hawkish nose high into the air like the pompous prick that he was. But he was nowhere in the immediate area. No barked orders being flung into the air, no heavy boots marching over the ground. Just the steady rhythm of arrows hitting a target and the breathless grunts of the other men sparring.

And, more importantly, nothing to stand in the prince’s way.

He had to physically _restrain_ himself from marching out onto the training field and sidling up behind the knight like he wanted to. With the other guards hanging around, the risk of gossip spreading like wildfire was too imminent to ignore. He needed his father finding out about this like he needed a boot to the ass.

But a _good_ hunter was patient; their prey would come to them.

And, after a good hour of waiting, that’s precisely what happened.

Jesse _knew_ that all of the training equipment found a home in the large tack room beyond the main door. And, judging by Hanzo’s attempt at professionalism the night before, the prince could only assume that he wouldn’t be carelessly leaving it out. The prince could only chuckle when Hanzo nodded to his teammates and hoisted the small target onto his shoulder to set it down against the wall in the room.

He didn’t strike until Hanzo was calmly tying up a coil of rope on a nail by the door.

“You always train that hard?”

Smug satisfaction filled him to the brim when Hanzo _jumped_ and faced him with wide eyes, his color darkening to an even fiercer shade of red than his exertion had caused only moments earlier. Jesse, cool and calm as ever, stepped up to lean against the wall nearby, arms folded casually. His grin only widened when he caught Hanzo’s eyes flick to that bit of skin over his collarbone and linger there.

“Your Highness, I…I am sorry, I had no idea you were watching,” he sputtered, folding into a bow.

“Jesse, sugar. Told you t’call me Jesse,” he reminded him, cocking his head to the side playfully. “Y’gonna answer the question?”

Hanzo stood upright and balled his hands into a fist, chewing on that lower lip again while he thought of what to say. _God_ that was adorable. Jesse found himself taking a few steps closer until he resumed his leaning position no more than a foot away from the knight. Soon to be _his_ knight. The idea made him shiver.

“When the situation calls for it…Jesse,” Hanzo replied vaguely, nodding. The way those syllables rolled off his tongue made Jesse squirm a little. Honestly, no one had _any_ right to sound that good saying his name. “I…found myself a bit restless this morning and thought it best to train to release some tension.”

Was he kidding? Was he really making it _this_ easy?

Jesse chuckled softly, shooting the knight a wink.

“And what, pray tell, is runnin’ around in that pretty lil’ head of yours to get you so…worked up?” he purred. Hanzo met his eyes for _just_ a second before looking away. Jesse’d been right on the money with that one. _Good._

But oh no, he looked _embarrassed._

They couldn’t have that, now could they.

“Hn, easy now, honey,” he cooed, cupping Hanzo’s jaw and directing his gaze back with the pad of his thumb. Hanzo shifted on his feet at the pet name and Jesse inwardly crowed with satisfaction. “Reckon it mighta been the same sort of things that had my head spinnin’ since last night, too.”

“Your Highness…” Hanzo breathed, though he was leaning into that hand. “This…we cannot…we _shouldn't..._ ”

“See, I spent _my_ night picturin’ how _perfect_ you’d look wrapped up in my sheets,” he continued, leaning down to trace the shell of Hanzo’s ear with a barely-there brush of his lips. “Tryin’ not to _moan_ my name as I taste and mark up every last _inch._ Oh, but I wouldn't stop there. Not until the whole _castle_ heard how _good_ I was makin' you feel...”

Hanzo shuddered beneath him, tilting his head to give the prince better access to whatever part he sought out. And he _groaned_ when Jesse scraped his teeth over his pulse point, smoothing the spot over with a swipe of his tongue. Whatever protests he’d had were flying steadily out the window along with any other modicum of speech, which Jesse was more than happy to facilitate.

“ _God_ , you taste so fuckin’ good…” he purred, tugging on Hanzo’s earlobe. The man sucked in a breath and fisted his hand in Jesse’s shirt to yank him closer. Jesse was happy to oblige, tracing the sharp curve of that jaw with teeth and tongue until his forehead was pressed against Hanzo’s and he was staring into a pair of blown-out brown eyes.

“I never did get a chance to taste those lips…” he murmured. That cocky smirk split his mouth again when Hanzo swallowed and unabashedly _stared_ at his mouth. Letting his eyes go half-lidded, Jesse tilted his head and let his lips brush feather-light against Hanzo’s.

“Kiss me, sweetheart.”

Jesse was honestly taken aback by how _hungrily_ his lips were suddenly claimed by the man he now had pressed against the stable wall. _Fuck_. Hanzo had dug his hand into the unruly hair at the back of his neck and all but _dragged_ him forward. Jesse groaned at the slick feel of Hanzo’s tongue against his own, and, now that he had Hanzo right where he wanted him, pressed their bodies together until they were chest to chest.

He wasted no time in hoisting Hanzo up with a pair of strong hands beneath that generous swell of an ass, reveling in the way the knight rocked into him like the motion came unbidden. It had been like moths to a flame – now that Jesse could actually _taste_ the man that had been driving him wild since their meeting in the hallway, there was absolutely no hope for him. He was totally and utterly _lost_ in the feel of that hard cock rutting against his beneath Hanzo’s tented breeches, or those thick and powerful thighs pinning him forward. From the way Hanzo was panting, his breath hot and wet against his lips, the knight was past the point of no return himself. 

_“Fuck_ , Hanzo…” he moaned after finally breaking contact to breathe, dipping his head to bite lower and lower and _lower_ until he was nearly ripping Hanzo’s shirt to get what was underneath. Shirts were overrated anyway. When he was king, he would buy Hanzo all the shirts in the kingdom. Or better yet, _outlaw_ the fucking things. Someone as gorgeous as Hanzo didn't need clothes.

“J- _Jesse_ …” Hanzo breathed, eyes fluttering shut and head lolling backwards. The prince couldn’t help but thrust against him just to hear the knight groan his name again, kneading at his ass possessively.

“Again,” he demanded, leaning back to tear Hanzo’s shirt straight down the middle with his metal hand. The knight, if it was at all possible, looked even _more_ turned on by the act, rocking his hips into the generous bulge Jesse was pressing against him.

“ _Jesse-!_ ” he moaned, his breath hitching when Jesse sank his head down to nip at his collarbone.

“Good boy,” he purred. In reward, he lifted Hanzo higher against the wall and encouraged him to tighten those thighs again, all so he could latch onto a pebbled nipple and _suck_. The writhing knight beneath him _bucked_ and let out a strangled sound, tipping his head back. From the way his feet tensed, digging into the spot above Jesse’s tailbone, the way he was swirling his tongue around the nub was making Hanzo’s toes curl.

Heaven. Absolute _heaven._  

But, of course, no heaven was complete without a devil to fuck the whole thing up.

_Fuck_ Jack Morrison and his perfect timing.

“What is the _meaning_ of this?” he bellowed after turning the corner, back straight and blond hair sharp as can be. Hanzo immediately _froze_ beneath Jesse, nails leaving little crescent moons where they were digging into his neck and shoulder. Jack just raked his haughty eyes over the pair, taking in the positively _debauched_ scene before him.

Jesse growled out a breathless blue-streak of swears against Hanzo’s flushed skin, reluctantly letting the other man scramble to his feet and push him away. He couldn’t have been more pissed off if he _tried._ Cockblocked by his mentor’s prick of a boyfriend. What a sad, cruel world.

“You are _dismissed_ , soldier,” Jack snarled, sharp eyes glaring holes into Hanzo, who only managed to eye Jesse sideways with unbridled frustration before storming away. Jesse noted with only _minor_ smugness that he was limping a little, shaky hands holding his torn shirt closed. And there was a telling wet patch at the front of his breeches. Honestly, the prince probably didn’t look much better, but seeing how he’d effected _Hanzo_ made him forget Jack’s presence entirely.

The knights pants were even bunched up _delectably_ where Jesse had dug in his fingers. And he’d have marks that he couldn’t hide all the way up the line of his throat. Jesse's gaze got a distinct far-off, dreamy look to it.

Almost. He’d been _so close._

“Your Highness,” Jack started tersely, not bothering to avert his eyes as Jesse straightened himself out and ran a hand through his hair. “I hope you realize I must report this to the king.”

“Figured as much,” Jesse said, rolling his eyes. "Once a lapdog, always a lapdog."

“It is highly _unprofessional_ to be fraternizing with new recruits like this, Sire,” he added. “These men are here to protect you, not to…to…”

“Fuck me?” Jesse added in mock helpfulness, only smirking harder when Jack tripped up a little on his words. For someone who was sleeping with Gabriel, he sure was _bashful_ about it. “Well, thanks for the good work, _Commander._ Now that you’ve ruined my fun, mind lettin’ me _go_ now?”

Jack curled his lip but stepped aside, letting Jesse pass. The prince did his best to hold his head high despite the fact that he’d _basically_ just been issued a death sentence. A prince did _not_ fuck knights. A prince did _not_ do it in the stables.

But as his tongue swept out to taste the remnants of Hanzo against his lips, his eyes glazed over and his mind went elsewhere.

He still hadn’t _really_ gotten what he’d wanted. And what good was being a prince if you couldn’t break the status quo now and again? Jack could go fuck himself. And so could his father, for that matter.

He still had a knight to snare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can follow me on twitter for sporadic updates and incessant chatter: @heysugarmaddy  
> or on tumblr: sugarmaddy.tumblr.com  
> or buy me a ko-fi: ko-fi.com/sugarmaddy


	3. Unfair

Dinner that night was… _uncomfortable._

Of course, Jack had run his stool-pigeon mouth off the second he’d had a chance to, and of _course,_ he probably hadn’t spared any of the details. The rest of the day had been blessedly silent thanks to the usual schedule a member of the royal family had to keep, but after the fencing lessons, battle strategies, horseback riding and the signing of various laws and decrees, family tradition _usually_ dictated that they share a meal.

And so the family met with their usual uptight decorum – Jesse on the right, his mother opposite him, and the king at the head. The thick wooden table took up the span of their entire banquet hall, and even though Jesse _yearned_ to be at the opposite end of it and as far away as possible, they only used one meager sliver towards the fireplace.

The prince had _distinctly_ noticed that neither of his parents bothered to look up from their plates when he finally sat down. The steady clinking of silver on porcelain was _deafening_ over the crackle from the fire, but it still didn’t manage to be loud enough for Jesse’s tastes. Either ignore the subject or get it the hell over with – that was Jesse’s motto. Not much of one for a prospective ruler, but hey, he managed just fine.

“Heard you had a blast down at the stables,” his father finally said, pulling a face. Ah, right to the point. Jesse was almost relieved. _Almost._

“Guess so,” Jesse said noncommittally, pushing his food around more than he was eating it. ‘A blast’ was one way someone could put it. ‘A fucking great time’ would be another. The way Hanzo _bent_ beneath him, searching for friction to ease some of that delicious pressure. The way his eyes had gone unfocused and his skin _burned_ beneath Jesse’s tongue…

“Don’t fool with me, boy,” his father said with a sudden growl. “Commander Morrison already spoke with me.”

“What on earth are you talking about?” Jesse’s mother asked, one hand toying with the necklace on her throat in a nervous habit. As usual, she was dressed like she was heading out to some debutante ball, like a misplaced southern belle. There hadn’t even _been_ a south for the last century or so, and yet there she was, looking like she’d watched _Gone with the Wind_ one too many times.

“Our _son_ decided to chase some tail and roll in the hay down with the animals today,” the king said. Normally Jesse liked the fact that his dad let up on the polished vernacular whenever they were in private, but _man_ did it sound like shit when he was being scolded. So _harsh._

“I did not,” Jesse said, putting his fork down. “And Jack can kiss my ass.”

“ _Jesse!_ ” his mother gasped. She always hated the more vulgar stuff. Sometimes Jesse said it just to get on her nerves.

“You are _my_ boy,” his father continued, also putting down his silverware in the midst of forking a bite of steak to fix Jesse in a narrowed gaze. His bushy white eyebrows only framed it and made it look even more piercing than usual. Jesse found himself directing his eyes to the curve of his plate.

“And as _my boy_ , it is _expected_ that you behave like a damn _prince_ and not like a _hooligan.”_

“Really, Jesse darling. Think of your image. Are you really trying to paint yourself as one of those stereotypical womanizing princes?” his mother added.

“Uh, we really gonna talk about stereotypes?” Jesse asked, lifting the solid silver candelabra from between them and gesturing to the crystal chandelier on the ceiling. “Pretty sure half the shit in this _room_ screams ‘royal stereotype’, Ma.”

“An’ it was a _man_ , Camila,” his father growled.

All at once, the room was quiet again. Jesse let out an involuntary flinch and then rolled his eyes, burying his face in his hands. His mother was staring at him with a hand pressed to her chest. His father was back to shoveling dripping steak into his mouth, his gold and black napkin tucked into his collar.

“Oh Jesse…” his mother finally breathed, her voice radiating maternal disappointment. “…what about grandchildren?”

“Are we _really_ gonna talk about this _now_? I’m not even _thirty_ yet.” Jesse groaned, pressing the heels of his hands further into his eyes. His father had been nearly ten years older than that when Jesse had been born, he almost pointed out. “And there _is_ such a thing as adoption, Ma.”

“Quit sassin’ your mother,” his father said with irritation. “And you are _forbidden_ from seein’ that boy again, you hear me? It’s _done.”_

Oh hell no.

He was _not_ about to just drop Hanzo after getting a taste.

But, from his father’s look, he knew it wasn’t _him_ he had to worry for. Hanzo could easily be removed from the equation without so much as a bat of the eye. Reassignment, relocation, even some form of _exile_ were all possible scenarios if the king really wished them to be. Not that he thought his father would do something that severe. But still.

Jesse snorted through his nose like an angry bull and frowned, but was smart enough to button his lip. His father nodded his head with satisfaction and went back to his meal. Jesse had entirely lost his appetite. Well, for _food_ anyway.

Let his parents think he’d acquiesced. It hardly meant that he _did_.

A good hunter didn’t give up the chase _that_ easily.

He just had to be…careful. Very careful.

 

* * *

 

 

Somewhere between angrily excusing himself from the table and storming to his room, it occurred to Jesse that paying Hanzo another _quiet_ visit might be in order. Jack was his commanding officer, so it was likely that the poor knight had gotten an earful after Jesse had skulked off. _Great._ An apology was likely in order.

Though, really, was an apology necessary? Jesse had almost rocked his world. Who wouldn’t be happy to fuck a prince? Really, he should be _thanking_ Jesse for-

Hanzo was already out in the training yard when Jesse stepped out through the rounded stone archway. This time he was battering a training dummy with a sparring sword, his face as fierce as his blows. It was dark out in the courtyard, the ground only dimly lit by few and far between torches. The cool night air made the prince shiver. Or was that the look in Hanzo’s eyes? Jesse was _almost_ hesitant to meet him. But once they locked eyes, that familiar wave of arrogance blew over him and all of that nervousness dissipated.

He. Was. The. _Prince._

“Hello again, gorgeous,” Jesse said softly, rolling his shoulders. Hanzo said nothing…which was…surprising. Okay, so maybe he hadn’t heard him. Jesse _was_ being quiet, in case anyone nearby should choose to eavesdrop. His dad would have his head if he heard that his son had run off to do _exactly_ what he’d been forbade to do. As if it was the first time.

Jesse leaned his arm on the head of the training dummy and winked at Hanzo, whose hair was sticking to his throat. He’d been out there a long time, from the looks of things.

“I, uh…I guess you got read the riot act too, huh?”

“The Commander spoke to me, yes,” Hanzo said. There was no tripping over his words. No cute sputtering or blushing. Hanzo was clipped. Succinct. _Pissed._ It made him nervous. Jesse cringed, but shrugged it off by clearing his throat.

“What uh…what he say?” he finally asked.

“That you are a pompous, posturing lay-about who knows as much about ruling as the horses do,” Hanzo said simply, swiping the dummy with a hard whack. “And that I should stay away from you.”

 _Ouch._ Well, it was to be expected. Jesse and the Commander had never _really_ gotten along. Not since Gabriel had been chosen to take him under his wing and therefore monopolize his time. It had really stuck in his craw that _Jesse_ was going to be the next king and not someone like _him._ Jesse enjoyed shoving his nose in it, too.

But this was no time to think about Jack.

Not when _Hanzo_ was right in front of him.

“Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, I guess,” Jesse shrugged, thumbing his nose. But then he smirked again, using his metal hand to catch the wooden sparring sword before it could hit the dummy again. Hanzo just looked annoyed.

“All I really care about is how _you_ feel about me,” Jesse purred, pulling him forward with the false blade. Hanzo allowed it, taking three stuttered steps closer until he was looking up at the prince in the dark.

“You look _real_ good in this light, sugar,” Jesse cooed, winking. “Can almost see where I got my mouth on you.” Okay, _that_ got a blush that he could see, even in the little light they had. Jesse grinned and ran his hand over Hanzo’s exposed throat, enjoying the way goosebumps raised under his touch.

“Dunno about you…but I’ve been thinkin’ about pickin’ up where we left off all day,” Jesse murmured, leaning down to press his lips to the other side of Hanzo’s neck. The knight sighed, changed his balance, and tilted his head _just_ a bit. “Got a lot of ideas about what to do to you, honey. I’m thinkin’ we can start by gettin’ you out of them sweaty clothes and into-“

“I plan on taking the Commander’s advice.”

Jesse froze with his mouth halfway open against Hanzo’s flesh. And then, slowly, he pulled back, though he was unable to resist keeping his hand on Hanzo’s skin and left it where it was.

The knight was breathing a little heavier, that was for sure, and his eyes had that _hint_ of arousal that Jesse had seen earlier that day. But it was just a hint. Instead, a look of determination was the predominant force there, and Jesse could tell that Hanzo was forcing himself to look him in the eye instead of look down or away.

“…care t’say that again?” Jesse asked, _finally_ letting his hand drop to his side.

“I said I am planning on taking the Commander’s advice,” Hanzo repeated. “I have decided that it is within my best interest to keep our interactions at a minimum, Your Highness.”

The words almost didn’t make _sense._ It took Jesse a second to straighten them out from the jumble he’d heard, and once he did he couldn’t understand _why_ Hanzo had said them. No one said no to Jesse. Especially when he was _positive_ that Hanzo wanted him just as badly. He did...didn't he?

“I…I don’t get it,” Jesse finally admitted with a confused laugh. “You’re…turnin’ me down?”

“I believe that I am, yes,” Hanzo answered, giving a slight bow.

“But…why?” Jesse asked, tucking a loose strand of Hanzo’s hair behind his ear.

“I cannot risk what I have worked so hard for, Sire,” Hanzo said, sighing and shaking his head. Jesse growled when Hanzo once _again_ refused to call him by his name. “I have only just been accepted into the royal guard after years of training. Should… _this_ continue, any promotions I might receive would be looked at as some form of special treatment and not something I deserve. The others would lose respect for me.”

“Oh, well that’s easy t'work around, darlin’,” Jesse said smoothly, leaning in a little to wiggle his eyebrows. “I can be _real_ sneaky when I wanna be.”

Hanzo raised an eyebrow back at him and gently pulled down his shirt to reveal the darkening hickies covering his throat and collarbone.

“I sincerely doubt that.”

“But we were havin’ such a good time,” Jesse pouted.

“We only just met last night,” Hanzo pointed out with a bland look. “And forgive me, but you know nothing about me.”

“So? You don’t know ‘bout me, either,” Jesse said. “Don’t see what that has t’do with us havin’ some fun together.”

“You are the eldest son to King Vernon the Second and his only heir. You were born with a rare birth defect, thus the need for a prosthetic arm, which was made through the help of your mother Queen Camila’s brother, Lord Winston. You enjoy hunting and have impeccable marksmanship. And your middle name is James.”

Jesse’s eyes shot upwards into his hairline. He wasn’t sure whether or not to be impressed or creeped out. He chose for the first, followed closely by confused curiosity.

“Okay…so y’do know…a _lil_ bit about me. Mind tellin’ me how?”

“The first part is common knowledge when you are a knight,” Hanzo explained. “The rest I learned from my brother. He’s a courier for the kingdom and is prone to…gossip. Both hearing and speaking.”

A brother, huh? Jesse would log that away for future reference. But they were getting away from the point of this entire conversation.

“But wait…so…that’s it?” Jesse asked, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice. “You just…don’t want me?”

“ _Oh_ , on the contrary,” Hanzo said, his voice lowering into a sultry smolder. Jesse felt his heartbeat speed up a tick when the knight was back in his space, standing on the balls of his feet to speak into his ear. Holy _fuck_ – where did _this_ come from?

“Our… _intense_ attraction has been on my mind for days, Your Highness. I must admit, I am _disappointed_ that we will have no more rendesvous,” Hanzo whispered, grinning when he felt Jesse’s grip tighten until the wood cracked. “When you found me in the stable...mmm, I was so _terribly_ turned on. I cannot help but imagine what would have occurred had the Commander not interrupted. How _skillful_ those hands could be.”

“Fuck…” Jesse breathed. “I’m real good with my hands, darlin’. I’d be _so_ good to you.”

Hanzo shifted on his feet, almost trying to regroup, before he pressed his smirking mouth against the shell of Jesse’s ear. The prince wasn’t sure where the bashful knight had gone to, but _this_ one was much, _much_ better in his opinion.

“Too bad I will not get to feel that cock of yours buried inside me where it _belongs_ ,” he said. “I liked the way it felt with my legs around your waist. In that position, I bet it would be _deep._ ”

“ _God…_ so fucking deep, baby…you have _no_ idea…” Jesse fucking _groaned_ , eyelids fluttering before Hanzo settled back away from him and Jesse could stare at him with wide eyes. He looked _smug_ , the bastard, even as he hoisted that wooden sword up over his shoulder to let it rest there.

“Yes, it really is too bad. But, it was fun while it lasted,” Hanzo said with a nonchalant shrug, like he _hadn’t_ just word-fucked Jesse into almost coming in his pants. “We both have our duties, Your Highness. Unfortunately, I must return to mine. And I am sure your schedule is quite full.”

And then he was _leaving_ and Jesse didn’t have enough damn brain cells to retort. What the hell had just happened? First he’d been schmoozing, then he’d been rejected, then he’d been the one being schmoozed? What the _fuck?_

“It’s _Jesse,”_ he called dumbly, completely ignoring the need for quiet. “You ain’t allowed to call me anythin’ but Jesse from now on! I mean it!”

“As you wish, _Jesse_ ,” Hanzo said back, bowing with a wink of his own. Jesse nearly fell flat on his face. Damn _tease._

No, this couldn’t be the end. No way, no how. He _would_ have Hanzo one way or another. It was only a matter of time.

He let out a low whistle once he was finally alone, letting his weight fall fully against the training dummy so that he could rest his chin on his arms, staring longingly in the direction Hanzo had gone.

It was just so unfair. So, so unfair.

 

* * *

 

 

Genji was almost bouncing in his shoes when Hanzo finally returned home, hanging his long coat up on the rack beside the tall wooden door and running a hand through his sweaty hair. Sometimes Hanzo loved the fact that he had been given special permission to stay away from the barracks. Other times…not so much.

Like when Genji was looking at him with that wide, Cheshire grin of his.

“Well?” he asked, his voice full of excitement. “Did you say what I told you to say?”

“Yes,” Hanzo admitted, embarrassment coloring his face. “I cannot _believe_ I let you talk me into saying something like that. And to the _prince.”_

“Oh come now, Brother,” Genji said, slapping Hanzo on the back and gripping his shoulder. “It couldn’t have been _that_ bad. What did he say?”

Hanzo said nothing. Just looked away. And his blush got darker. Genji howled with laughter and fell backwards into one of the sturdy wooden chairs surrounding the dining table.

“I _told_ you he would like that better than groveling. Men like someone with a backbone! Oh, but...you think you will be able to _avoid_ him after saying things like that? Brother, you are a bigger villain than I thought!”

“Silence, buffoon,” Hanzo said, pulling Genji’s courier hat over his eyes. “I am going to bed.”

“Oh I _bet_ you are!” Genji called after him as he went up the stairs. “Just keep your door shut and the noise down! I know how loud you can be when you’re trying your best _not_ to think of the prince!”

 _That_ earned a shoe thrown at his head. Genji just ducked from it and continued to laugh into his arms.

Hanzo slammed his bedroom door to avoid hearing it. Instead, he collapsed on his soft, clean mattress and draped his arm over his eyes. Smoky amber eyes and devious hands plagued his thoughts. He didn’t know _why_ he’d decided to take Genji up on his suggestion. He really _did_ intend on avoiding the prince.

…or trying to, anyway.

It was just for fun, he told himself. Something to get back at him for how easily he had stolen Hanzo's attention and tried to seduce him. So why did it _thrill_ him so much? Why couldn't he stop thinking about the way Jesse's eyes had lit up, or the way he'd been staring as Hanzo had walked away? He _wanted_ him like he'd wanted no one else. He wanted Jesse to drag him back to his room, throw him down, and fuck him into the mattress until he forgot his name. He wanted him to whisper sexy, _awful_ things into his ear; to tell him how _good_ it felt being inside of him. He wanted Jesse to be _his._ And vice versa.

Why did it have to be _him?_ He could have talked his way around a fellow knight, or even a merchant or _fuck_ , even a chimney sweep. But the _prince?_ It was just his luck. The only one who could make or break his career and Hanzo just _had_ to start some sort of lurid affair.

It really was unfair. So, so unfair.

“You’re going to have to wear a metal gauntlet on your hand if you want the full effect,” came Genji’s voice piping in from the doorway after he’d creaked it open. “Though be gentle. Don’t want to pull your cock off.”

 _That_ earned the second shoe.

This time it struck its mark.

Maybe he really did need to move to the barracks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a twitter where I post occasional updates and chatter incessantly: @heysugarmaddy  
> and a tumblr where I reblog a bunch of McHanzo stuff: sugarmaddy.tumblr.com  
> or buy me a ko-fi if you are so inclined: ko-fi.com/sugarmaddy


	4. A Shot in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long, everyone! I had a lot of stupid shit going on.   
> just a reminder to all of my readers: this is JUST FOR FUN. so there's bound to be a ton if inaccuracies, out of character behaviors and general stupidity. i'm just doing this because i wanna see knight hanzo get fucked (eventually) by prince jesse. 
> 
> regardless, I hope you enjoy it!

“So let me get this straight,” Gabe started, his fingers steepled as he glared at the prince over them. They were sitting across from each other at that broad wooden table, a stack of books sitting to Gabriel’s right and a rolling chalkboard behind him. A large lesson had been planned – all about foreign policy and tact – but had apparently been _forgotten_ entirely.

Jesse had his head down on the table and was looking quite pitiable. Gabe just looked frustrated. As usual.

“…after I distinctly told you _not_ to, you went down and attempted to fuck one of the new recruits. In the stable. In broad daylight. _Then,_ Jack caught you and went to your father, like I said he would. I believe this is the point in the story where I say ‘I told you so’.”

Jesse groaned and let his head roll a bit, his hands gripping the edge of the table. Somehow, he knew it was going to be like this when he sought his tutor out, but he had really hoped there would be some modicum of sympathy. Silly Jesse – he’d forgotten who he’d been dealing with. Gabe had learned from experience to delete ‘sympathy’ from his personal dictionary when it came to the predicaments Jesse usually found himself in.

“And _then_ , even after all of this has come tumbling down on your head, you seek out this recruit _again_ , only to be – and this is my absolute _favorite_ part – outright rejected? Since then you’ve been essentially making an ass of yourself and getting nowhere.” He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, a touch of amusement to his expression. “Did I get that right, Jesse? Please correct me if I’m wrong.”

No, he hadn’t been wrong by a longshot. It’d been a _week_ since that dark meeting in the courtyard. A week since Hanzo had left Jesse both disappointed and desperate for more in the span of a single sentence. A week since Jesse had been able to catch Hanzo alone. And it was driving him crazy.

The first few days hadn’t been _that_ terrible. Jesse could haunt the usual spots that he knew the recruit to be found in – the training grounds, the stable, even in various post positions throughout the castle. His eyes scanned for black hair or a shorter suit of armor than most, though his searches proved to be fruitless most of the time.

The next few days after _that_ , Hanzo turned back up again. Only _this_ time, he seemed to be sticking to Commander Morrison’s hip like glue.

Wherever the dark-haired knight was, Morrison was there too, watching over him like a gargoyle as he trained with the others, saddled up a horse, or any other chore he needed to accomplish. It wasn’t all _that_ unusual if Jesse had to be honest, but it did seem strangely _on purpose._ The notion was only backed up when he and the young recruit locked eyes. And a sense of _knowing_ flashed within his gaze. Of recognition.

_Oh._ A game then. A challenge. Well, Jesse liked those.

He began to strategize.

The first one was the most obvious – he could order Jack to just…go away.

Jesse outranked him no matter how many men the Commander had at his disposal. It didn’t matter if respect was lacking or if he _agreed_ or not. Jesse was still the prince.

Which led Jesse to cockily strut out onto the training ground one cool morning, head held high. He’d shaved his face, smoothed his hair back, and donned his favorite black tunic. After all, this was the day he was going to finally _win._ He’d have Hanzo all to himself, and with a few words, would just convince him to give up this silly charade so they could steal away to Jesse’s bedroom. Then it would be nothing but bare skin, harsh breaths, whispered-

“Can I be of some assistance to you, Your Highness?” Jack’s voice chimed, cutting through the train of thought he’d been riding. "I can only assume you are not here to train, given your _usual_ aversion to the topic. Did they move the door to the wine cellar out here?" The Commander kept his eyes low in a show of mock respect, but anyone within a mile radius could see it was nothing but posturing. It just made Jesse curl his lip.

“Actually,” Jesse said, folding his arms over his chest. He locked eyes with Hanzo for just a brief second, flashing him a cocky grin, before returning his focus to Jack. “I’m orderin’ you to take th’day off. Trainin’ the new recruits is off your list.”

“I am afraid I’m going to have to ignore that order, Your Highness,” Jack said quite plainly, turning on his heel to resume watching the men spar.

“Well good, I thought you would… _wait._ What?” Jesse asked, jerking backwards like he’d been slapped.

“As I am sure you are _well_ aware, there was a major assassination attempt made on the life of King Argulius of Ardenia several months ago. Due to the close proximity to our own borders, the king has put training the new soldiers on high priority,” Jack explained without turning around. “I was told personally not to let anything, short of all-out war, distract me from my duty. That includes you, I am afraid.”

Really, Jesse should have been prepared for that. He _had_ heard about the attempted murder, despite his inability to pay attention to Gabe’s tirades. Then again, he would have had to have lived under a rock not to have heard about it. So why the fuck hadn’t he put two and two together?

Because he was a _dumbass_ , that’s why.

He could hear the recruits snickering softly at his expression. But the prince’s eyes flicked over Morrison’s shoulder to Hanzo, who was doing his best not to look at him at all. _That_ frustrated him more than the outright public embarrassment.

“Well…I… _guess_ that makes sense,” he grumbled, losing his arrogant posture all at once. “Carry on.”

“Oh _thank_ you, Your Highness,” Commander Morrison said with a flourish, making a show of it just to rub salt in the wound. Jesse _glared_ at him. Morrison just glared right back.

Smug bastard.

For now, Jesse could do nothing but slowly slink off with his tail between his legs. He threw one last look at Hanzo, barely catching his passing glance, before he shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked a clod of dirt. The recruits just chuckled at him again and resumed their activities. A real blow to the ego. And his following attempts didn’t fare much better. Hanzo seemed entirely too keen on never being caught alone, and Morrison seemed to derive a sadistic pleasure in raining on Jesse’s parade.

He didn’t seek out Gabriel until he was utterly desperate. It took a lot out of him to ask for help with his love life, or lack thereof, which was why he was currently pressing his forehead into the table as hard as he could muster.

“It sounds like this special recruit of yours _might_ not be up for playing this game of cat and mouse with you, Jesse,” his tutor commented idly. “There are plenty of other nice-looking conquests for you to focus on, you know. Not that I am _encouraging_ that…”

“No!” Jesse barked, sitting his head up so that his chin was against the tabletop. “It has t’be Hanzo. I don’t want anyone else.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at that.

“Why?” he asked. “And don’t try and give me that ‘thrill of the chase’ excuse. I have known you for long enough to know how short that attention span of yours is. Normally you would have grown bored by now.”

Jesse furrowed his brow and slowly sat up, drumming his fingertips to break the meaningful silence that Gabriel had thrown his way. He didn’t want to admit out loud that he had a point, because really, they _both_ knew that he did. And while Jesse had never found himself in this sort of situation before, now that Gabriel had brought it up, he _was_ working extraordinarily hard just to possibly score a _moment_ of privacy with the young recruit. Had it been anyone else, he would have given up and moved on to greener pastures.

Gabe, as usual, appeared to sense his train of thought.

“At least answer me this,” he said. “After you’ve gotten what you’ve wanted, after _all_ this work you’ve put in has resulted in your prize…what then? Do you simply intend to count him as a trophy and go back to what you were doing?”

His mind immediately _railed_ against the idea. Which then had him sitting stiff as a board in his seat with an uncomfortable expression on his face. Just picturing that soft flush on Hanzo’s cheeks and the way he’d pliantly melted against him had the young prince thoroughly _confused_. He hadn’t stopped to consider what would happen _after_ , but now that he was, he couldn’t stand the idea of anyone else being able to draw those sorts of reactions from his knight. _His?_ The possessive term had new meaning suddenly, all thanks to Gabriel and his damn perception. And Gabriel _knew_ it, eyeing him down from across the table like he could see every little flash of insight in Jesse’s mind, spread out like a map in front of him.

“Y’gotta help me, Gabe,” he finally said, his unease seeping into his voice. “I’ve never…this is…” He was having a hard time articulating, which wasn’t entirely unusual. He rolled his hands in the air, trying to search for the right words. Gabriel waited patiently.

“I want him,” Jesse said, causing Gabe to roll his eyes. “But…but I think I might… _want_ him. Does that…make sense?”

“If it were anyone else, no,” Gabe said with a slight smirk. “But I think I can glean enough to follow along.”

“It don’t make sense,” Jesse continued, ignoring the snarky words at his expense. “I’ve barely had a chance to talk to him. An’ he said it himself – I don’t know shit about him. I mean, besides that he’s cute as hell…an’ he can spar better than half those chumps down there. An’ his eyes are so…an’ his _hair…”_

Jesse had inadvertently drawn himself into a train of thought that left him staring off into space dreamily with his cheek in his fist. Gabe watched it happen with a mix of horror and amusement. Jesse didn’t snap out of it until the other man loudly cleared his throat.

“I’m…in trouble,” Jesse said with a wince.

“I’d say I agree with you,” Gabe chuckled. “Though seeing you like this is _really_ entertaining.”

“Not for me!” Jesse shot back, letting his head fall to the table again with a frustrated groan. “Wish I knew what the hell was wrong with me.”

“Nothing is _wrong_ ,” Gabriel laughed harder. “You are infatuated with him. Sometimes it only takes a brief encounter to spark something between two people like that.”

“Well it don’t matter now anyway,” Jesse said with a heavy sigh. “My father’s forbidden me to really seek Hanzo out, an’ he wants nothin’ to do with me. Plus your damn _lover_ seems intent on torturin’ me.”

“You’re being melodramatic,” Gabriel snorted, reaching under the table to draw up a flask from his satchel, sliding it to the prince. “And you seem to enjoy doing the same thing to him, most of the time. I’d say it’s warranted.”

“You’re not bein’ very helpful,” Jesse groused, though he sat up enough to down a long swig of the liquor he’d been given. Gabriel eyed him appraisingly for a second, stroking his dark beard, before he huffed and leaned forward.

“Have you considered talking to his brother?”

Jesse paused. That was _right_ – Hanzo _did_ mention that he had a brother.

“You know him?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

“Genji. I know _of_ him,” Gabe said. “He’s a courier for the court – takes messages from here to neighboring kingdoms and various nobles. I’ve often seen him loitering around the kitchen, flirting with the servants. He almost puts you to shame. _Almost.”_

That was surprising. Jesse had pictured Hanzo’s brother to be like him – stiff and almost haughty, with a sharp countenance and serious demeanor. Hearing that he was anything but gave the prince a bit more confidence with this new plan that was formulating.

“Sounds like my kind of ally,” Jesse said. “But people are likely to eavesdrop if I slide up on him in the kitchen. I’m never down there.”

“Mm, true,” Gabriel said thoughtfully, going back to stroking his beard. “You know, I may or may not have heard that he frequents a local pub in town at night. And I’m definitely _not_ saying that it’s near the church on the other side of the market, _or_ that it’s called the Sparrow. So get that out of your head immediately.”

Jesse blinked with wide eyes. Was Gabe actually…helping? It wasn’t the first time that he and the prince had conspired together like this, and it certainly wasn’t the first time Jesse had snuck out to find a little fun beyond the walls. But up until this point, Gabe seemed intent to just laugh at his expense. Jesse couldn’t help but grin ear to ear.

“Will uh…will the Commander be… _busy_ tonight?”

“Perhaps,” Gabe said with a shrug. “I _could_ be persuaded to provide some distraction.”

“You’re a _genius_ ,” Jesse laughed, launching himself up out of his chair to lean across the table and clap Gabriel on the shoulder. “I owe you one.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Your Highness,” Gabriel said. “But when you get caught, just remember I _didn’t_ tell you anything.”

“Got it,” Jesse said, shooting him a two-fingered salute. But then he paused. “Wait, you said ‘when’. _When_ I get caught.”

“I am aware of what I said,” Gabriel smirked. “I’m _slightly_ hoping that you will be punished. Maybe that way you’ll be forced to pay attention during my lectures for once.”

“I take it back,” Jesse said with a deep frown as he hesitated by the door. “You’re not a genius. You’re a damn _villain._ ”

“I believe _both_ are true,” his tutor laughed. “Now go, Your Highness, before I change my mind.”

 

* * *

 

 

Jesse never ceased to be grateful for the fact that very few people outside the royal court and the castle staff knew what he looked like. It was odd to think about – he was the son of the man who ruled the entire nation, and yet, if he donned the right attire, he could walk right through town without so much as the blink of an eye.

Gabriel often facilitated such ventures, though he would deny it to his grave if it was ever brought up. It was good for the prince to get out and see the real world, he justified. A good king had to do more than just see his kingdom through rose-colored glasses. So more often than not, whenever he was bored enough, Jesse donned a pair of brown leather gloves, a dark red cloak, and a wide-brimmed hat to go and mingle with the common folk. It often resulted in him drunkenly slipping back into bed at odd hours in the morning, sometimes with company, but always with an interesting story to tell.

This time, though, he was on a mission. This wasn’t about flitting the night away by drinking himself into a stupor or finding someone interesting to warm his bed – tonight had a _purpose_ , which made it all the more exciting and all the more dangerous.

The loose section of the palace wall easily moved aside when he pressed his weight into it. Amped up on adrenaline, Jesse found himself pausing midway through as stone scraped stone to listen to the night, mentally hoping and praying over baited breath that Morrison wouldn’t come stomping around the corner. But Gabriel was almost a better tactician than he was, and Jesse knew that his part of the plan would go off without a hitch. The hole in the wall was blessedly lacking in guards, both on the inside and the outside, and since it faced the village’s borders, Jesse could slip behind a nearby thatch-roofed home and be gone before anyone was the wiser.

The young prince could see the steeple of the aforementioned church above the rooftops. The Sparrow, if Gabriel’s information was correct, would be located right on the corner near there. A few minutes’ walk at best, which _seemed_ like an easy journey. But even dressed up like he was, anyone who knew what they were looking for could pick him out. He’d have to be careful.

Once he’d breached the wall, he circled around the nearest building until he met the main road. Cobblestone lined beneath his booted feet, slick from a recent rain and bordered with muddy puddles beneath makeshift gutters. Wooden doors swelled with moisture and creaked when they opened and shut, men and women meandering around by lamp and candlelight to their various destinations. It always _smelled_ different down here – sure there was the stench of filth that came with stagnant water and rotting food in the alleys, but there was more than that. Something that no one but Jesse would really be able to pick up on. He _liked_ the fleeting smell of roasting meet and the soft scent of tobacco smoke. Laughter rang in the distance while crying filled the opposite corner. The village always seemed so much more _alive_ than the palace, like the people that clogged its dirty streets were the blood running through its veins.

Jesse almost forgot why he was there. But following the road towards the church, he eventually spotted the worn sign than hung above a dingy little hole-in-the-wall nearby. It was a wooden cut-out of a bird with wings spread, the texture of its feathers lost to the ages after too much rain and too little upkeep. Jesse smirked to himself, adjusted his hat, and pushed through the door and into the dim light. Melted candles hung long lines of frozen wax from wrought-iron sconces.

The air was thick with the smell of sweat, watered-down ale and smoke. Groups of men with tawdry women clung to the corners, laughing and downing large goblets of liquor while they pawed at each other. Barmaids swung their hips as they hoisted large steins up and planted them, foaming and overflowing, onto flimsy wooden tables, only to have their backsides slapped with hearty laughter.

It wasn’t one of Jesse’s usual haunts. He tended to cling to the places closer to the palace where he could flee if things got too close for comfort. The further out meant the further away from the guard patrols, so the people tended to get a bit more… _free_ with their behavior. The books Gabriel had provided him told Jesse that, based on their appearances, several of the men in the corner were pirates. A few more, smudged with soot and wearing fingerless gloves, were chimney sweeps or coach drivers. None of them shot him a passing glance as he sidled up to the bar.

“What’ll ye have, love?” the barmaid asked, leaning against the splintered wood to give Jesse a generous view of her cleavage. Jesse was almost baited by it, too, finding himself reaching up to tip his hat back so she could have a very _clear_ idea of who she was speaking to. But no, he had to _focus._ No time for flirting.

“Ale,” he said with a wink, making sure his face was shadowed. “Stronger the better, if you please.”

He passed her a coin with two gloved fingers and watched her wink right back, dropping the coin down her shirt before she moved to pour what he’d asked for.

“Lookin’ for a man named Genji,” he asked, his voice raised over the ruckus behind him. “You look like you’ve seen your fair share from behind that bar. Know of him?”

“Oh, Genj?” she asked with a barked laugh that sounded way too rough for someone of her appearance. “Right over there, love. The one bendin’ the ear of James while ‘e’s got Priscilla in ‘is lap. A real glutton, that one.”

Jesse followed her thumb to spy the younger man, partially obscured by a tattered curtain. He did, indeed, have a scantily-clad woman in his lap, resting back against his chest while he was busy whispering sweet nothings into the ear of a _very_ interested man about his age. Jesse could _barely_ see the resemblance between Genji and his Hanzo – the younger of the two had some of the same features, the same skin tone, but there was little else. If he hadn’t been expressly _told_ that this was Hanzo’s brother, Jesse wouldn’t have believed it.

The barmaid slid the mug over to him, the foam of the head dribbling over the rim to slide onto Jesse’s glove. Absentmindedly, he brought it to his lips and took a swig, holding back the urge to make a face at how skunky it was. It didn’t matter – he was just there to nurse it anyway. Since Genji seemed so preoccupied, he’d have to wait to catch him alone.

Which, of course, meant it was going to be a _long_ night.

Four ales and a whole lot of noise later, and Jesse was feeling substantially more buzzed and a _lot_ less patient. He’d kept his eyes on Genji almost all night, only averting his focus when the occasional man or woman pressed against him, vying for his attention. Under any other circumstance, Jesse might have taken them up on their offer. But Hanzo’s face flashed behind his eyes every time, and he would politely decline. If Genji didn’t hurry up, he would end up doing something _very_ stupid. Like hauling him up by the collar.

Jesse luck was a lot better than normal, for once. Genji stood while Jesse lamented over his fifth glass of bubbly ale, throwing a wobbly bow to his companions, all of whom whined at his imminent departure.

“Now don’t you worry!” Genji laughed. “I’ll be back tomorrow!”

“Promise?” one of the women crooned, batting her eyelashes. “Promise, promise?”

“Why would I lie?” Genji responded, all easy-going charm as he tapped her under the chin. Jesse caught the way he wobbled as he moved to stand upright again, smoothing down his coat and running his fingers through his hair. Jesse thought he looked like a lot of fun. He probably drove Hanzo _crazy._

“Now, if you will excuse me,” Genji said with a flourish, sauntering to the door. “I must leave you all, for fun is only fun when it is done in moderation.”

“Horseshit,” bellowed one of the men from the opposite side of the room, gesturing wildly enough with his mug to cause ale to splash out onto the floor. “Bloody horseshit!”

“Perhaps, my fine fellow,” Genji said, walking backwards until he was in the threshold of the tavern. “But we can argue that some other time. Farewell!”

“What a ham,” Jesse snickered under his breath. And for him to think so was definitely saying something.

The young prince just shook his head, downed the last few gulps of ale, and tipped his hat to the friendly barmaid, sliding her another few coins for her trouble. Giving Genji a few good seconds of head start, he smoothed down his red cloak, pulled his gloves a bit tauter, and headed out after him. The barmaid just laughed under her breath.

“Wonder what Genji did t'get ‘imself involved with a prince? Silly boy.”

 

* * *

 

 

Genji sang loudly the whole way down the street to no one in particular. He stumbled back and forth from one wall to the next, caterwauling so exaggeratedly that it was a wonder the entire hamlet didn’t wake up and shout at him. Jesse began to feel a distinct pang of disappointment that he hadn’t been able to join in. Genji looked like a whole hell of a lot of fun to hang out with, full of liquor but lacking any obvious inhibition.

The corner they turned was a lot less inhabited. Jesse did his best to keep his steps steady and his mind focused despite the substandard bit of alcohol clouding it. _Hanzo_ he reminded himself for the hundredth time that night. All of this restraint was for _Hanzo_ …which was a concept that he’d have to analyze a bit more intensely later.

Finally, after he began to develop a bit of a headache, Jesse made his move.

A few wide steps and he was behind the younger Shimada. Genji didn’t seem to notice him in the slightest, his vision blurred by liquor and good company.

Jesse pulled out something random from his pocket – a handkerchief that had probably been left there from the last time he’d taken one of these nightly excursions. To avoid looking like a creep, he could pretend that Genji had dropped it, then offer it back and break the ice.

Gabriel wasn’t the _only_ tactician taking up residence in the castle.

He stepped forward to slap a hand down on Genji’s shoulder.

“Hey, you! I think you dropped-“

-only to be utterly knocked on his _ass_ by a steady punch to the nose.

The prince fell like a sack of potatoes before he could even get the rest of his sentence out. Genji’s eyes were wide and his fist was still in the air where it had made contact. And then there was silence for a few seconds, the night air filled with distant accordion music coming from the bar and the occasional cricket.

Jesse’s hat had rolled off and landed in a puddle. And there, lying on the street, was the crowned prince, out cold thanks to the balled fist currently connected to Genji’s arm. His eyes got even _bigger_ , if it was at all possible.

“Shit,” he muttered, his fist dropping slowly to his side. “Oh… _shit._ ”

Standing there, muttering curses to himself, Genji wondered briefly if Hanzo would come to witness his execution. ‘Sentenced to death for being drunk and punching the prince.’

Yeah, Hanzo wouldn’t miss that one for the world.

"'Here lies Genji Shimada'," Genji whined out loud, hoisting the arm of the unconscious prince over his shoulder. "'Beloved by men and women everywhere, killed by his own quick reflexes.'"

Jesse groaned, but his head continued to hang forward as he remained unconscious. Genji swayed a bit with the new added weight and looked in the direction he was going before tentatively taking a few steps.

"Hope you're decent, Brother," he muttered under his breath. "Because it looks like your prince is dropping in for a visit."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whats this? does jesse actually have a CRUSH????  
> also: not to worry, friends. more smut will be in the next chapter. ;)
> 
>  
> 
> my twitter: @heysugarmaddy  
> my tumblr: sugarmaddy.tumblr.com  
> my ko-fi: ko-fi.com/sugarmaddy


	5. I Dream of Us Together

_Jesse didn’t remember dozing off._

_He opened his eyes to look down from his place on the throne to the throngs of people that had gathered on either side. How embarrassing. Lords and ladies, all coming together to be a part of his court, and he didn’t even have the decency to stay awake during proceedings. Maybe Gabe had been right – Jesse made a shit king._

_But the room was sweltering. He sat up straight, adjusted his crown, and hooked a finger into his collar to pull the fabric away from his skin. He half expected steam to rise._

_The great door opened opposite him, and a hushed murmur echoed over the crowd. Immediately, almost mechanically, they parted down the center to form a path. Jesse didn’t question why the herald hadn’t called out to introduce the newcomer. He knew who it was anyway, and for some reason his presence made him squirm._

_It was a knight. Shorter than most, with broad shoulders and long black hair. He had his helmet tucked up under his arm, but the rest of his suit was pristine and shining. And he was staring directly at Jesse in a way that had the king sweating more than he had been just a few minutes ago._

_He began to approach the throne._

_And little by little, began to remove pieces of armor, dropping his heavy helmet in the process._

_By the time he stood at the foot of the great chair Jesse sat in, Hanzo was bare from the waist up, one foot poised on the first step upwards while the other remained flat on the ground. He smirked at Jesse, and all at once the air got pulled from the room. Jesse had to swallow hard to regain his composure. The immense crowd had disappeared, along with the remnants of Hanzo’s armor. Jesse didn’t question it._

_“Approach,” he heard himself saying. And Hanzo did so slowly. Deliberately. Soon he was standing directly in front of Jesse, thighs pressed to the king’s knees, looking down at him with that same smoldering expression._

_Jesse parted his legs all while maintaining eye contact._

_“Kneel before your king,” he purred, somehow knowing exactly what to say._

_Hanzo dropped to his knees between those thick thighs and slid his palms over clothed flesh. Jesse shuddered and shut his eyes. Hanzo’s skin, his eyes, the wild look his hair gave him when it was loose and framing his face like that – it was too much. But he could feel the knight’s touch everywhere – sliding up over his knees, dipping under his waistline._

_He only opened his eyes again when he felt cool air wafting over his cock. Hanzo just looked up at him with an expression that was both somehow mischievous and innocent at the same time, his brown irises overshadowed by dark lashes._

_Somewhere down the line, Jesse had lost all of his clothing from his waist down. For some reason, like the disappearance of the crowd and Hanzo’s armor, the king didn’t question it. Maybe it was the thick, almost tropical air swirling around him. Or maybe it was the way Hanzo was staring at his unclothed member, his tongue darting out to wet his lips._

_“Such a perfect cock. You are so big...,” he said, making Jesse shudder. Deft fingers trailed up the shaft in barely-there touches, almost reverently, making Jesse bite his lip. “I have long dreamt of feeling it inside me…filling me up until my mind is empty…would you like that, sire? To feel me split on this massive cock until I cannot remember my name?”_

_“Hanzo…” Jesse breathed, sucking in a sharp breath when a thumb pressed a trail up the underside. Just enough pressure. Just the way Jesse liked it._

_“What will you have of me, my king?” Hanzo asked, turning his head to trail open-mouthed kisses from Jesse’s knee all the way inwards to where his leg met his torso. There, he dipped his tongue into the cleft, so dangerously close and yet so damned far away._

_“Tell me. Tell me, Jesse. I will do anything you desire…” he groaned, as if the idea turned him on as much as it did Jesse. “I only want to show my king even an ounce of the pleasure I have felt imagining his hands upon me… holding me down…making me cry out his name…,” he continued, repeating the action on the opposite leg, all while he began to slowly pump Jesse with a firm, hot palm._

_“Oh, Hanzo…” was all Jesse could seem to say, tightening his grip on the armrests on either side until his knuckles were white. But, like before, he knew the words before his brain could catch up. “…suck. Show me how much you want your king’s cock.”_

_“A loyal knight lives to serve the crown…” Hanzo murmured without a second thought, taking the head into his mouth to swirl his tongue around it. Jesse’s hand, out of desperation more than anything, reaching forward to tangle in his hair. The knight made a pleased sound that reverberated all the way into Jesse’s hips and began to take him in with vigor. Jesse could only hold on for the ride. His knight knew exactly where he wanted to be touched and exactly how to do it._

_“Fuck…oh fuck, Hanzo…” Jesse moaned, unable to look away as his knight’s head began to bob. Gorgeous. Spectacular. Miraculous. The king couldn’t fix on just one word with so many immediately coming to mind at the way Hanzo’s tongue felt. The knight was looking up at him, gauging his expression, hollowing out his cheeks to make Jesse’s toes curl. Jesse tried valiantly to keep his words to himself, but when Hanzo took him in and let him hit the back of his throat, all bets were off._

_“Y-you’re the most b-beautiful thing…a-ah! H-Hanzo, don’t stop…baby p-please don’t stop…j-just like that…oh god, f-fuck…just like that…”_

_Hanzo smiled around him and rolled his tongue, and Jesse was pretty sure he knew what Heaven felt like. Eventually the knight sat up to suck in a breath through his nose, though his tongue and lips were never far away, drawing desperate groans from the man above him. The knight drank them up, eyelids fluttering at every utterance of his name._ _Jesse could barely register his arm moving in tandem with his sucks, palming between his legs at a barely-clothed erection._

_“Delicious…”Hanzo purred, sitting up to trail kisses up Jesse’s bare stomach. Wait, bare stomach? Oh hell, who cared. Cloth fell away wherever Hanzo’s mouth aimed, lips sucking deep marks into the king’s tan flesh. Jesse’s back arched and Hanzo was suddenly looming over him, pumping his cock in firm, even strokes with one hand while the other ran a thumb over his king’s nipple. Jesse could feel a mattress at his back where the throne once was. He relished the change of position, both hands reaching up to draw Hanzo in as much as possible. The knight was murmuring soft words of encouragement, worshipping every new expanse of skin like it was some holy thing._

_He was close. He was so fucking close._

_“Tell me you want me…” Hanzo breathed into his ear, sucking at his neck._

_“Yes…oh fuck…I want you so bad…so, so bad,” Jesse obediently replied, his hands coming up to fist into the pillows on either side of his head. He turned his head and buried his face into them – they even smelled like Hanzo, making him writhe. The knight latched his mouth onto a nipple and sucked, and Jesse was positive he saw stars._

_“I am yours,” he breathed against Jesse’s skin. “I just want to be yours.”_

_“And I’m y-yours too, baby,” Jesse said without hesitation. “No one else’s. I can…fuck, I can only belong t’you.”_

_Hanzo froze and lifted his head. The hand on Jesse’s cock didn’t stop, which the king was entirely grateful for, but the knight’s face lit up with a genuine smile that made his face glow. Jesse lifted a hand to brush a stray strand of hair behind his ear. The knight leaned into his hand and twisted his hand just enough to make Jesse groan in pleasure and buck into it._

_Perfect. It was perfect. Just a little more…so close…_

_“What do you mean he is in my bed?”_

_…what?_

_Jesse looked up into Hanzo’s suddenly stormy face. His hand had stopped. Shit…why had his hand stopped?_

_“Because yours is bigger than mine?” Genji’s face suddenly appeared over his shoulder, blinking owlishly down at him._

_Jesse yelped and drew in on himself._

And woke up.

God, he was sweaty. This room that he was in was much, much too hot. It was probably because of the two thick quilts he was under, but more than likely it had _something_ to do with the hand he had down the front of his pants and the pleasant images fluttering behind his eyes.

Fuck, that had been a nice dream. A _really_ nice dream.

“Let me rephrase,” came the voice from outside the door. “Why is _Prince Jesse_ here at all, Genji?”

“I _told_ you!” came the almost whimpered reply. “He was following me! And I got surprised!”

“You have been drinking again,” Hanzo sighed, sounding muffled. Probably running a hand over his face, if Jesse had witnessed enough of his mannerisms from a distance to guess.

“Only a little!” Genji defended. “And what did you _want_ me to do? March up to the gates with him slung over me and just go ‘oh, sorry I clocked our prince in the face. Won’t happen again.’?”

“It would have been better than _bringing him here_ ,” Hanzo hissed. There was a pause, and then a thud, and Genji made a small pained noise.

“That was my favorite pair of boots!”

“You are lucky I chose to throw them and not kill you with them,” Hanzo growled, his voice moving away from the door. It sounded like he was going down some stairs. Jesse longed to have him come in, but upon seeing that he hadn’t yet removed his hand from his pants, decided against it.

“Don’t joke about that!” Genji gasped. “Your baby brother might get executed over this, you know!”

“Jesse is not like that,” came the soft response. The prince felt his heart swell for some reason. “He will most likely pity you for being such an imbecile.”

“We can bring him back to the castle in the morning!” Genji said, following suit down the stairs. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see!”

In the morning?

Jesse glanced sideways at the darkened window to his right. Oh, he remembered now. He’d been tailing Genji all night, hoping for a chance to talk. He’d tapped him on the shoulder and-

Oh. So _that_ was why his head hurt.

Jesse brought both hands up to press the heels of his hands into his eyes. He was still hard as a diamond in an ice storm, but his erection was thankfully dissipating thanks to a _lovely_ combination of headache and confusion. He contemplated briefly about rolling over and going back to that dreamscape, but the creaking of the door shot that idea straight to hell. His head shot up much too fast, and he groaned a little in pain, his fingers prodding over the beginnings of a hefty bump.

“Oh…I apologize, I did not mean to wake you.” It was Hanzo, carrying a wooden tray in both hands as he shouldered the door open. He padded in on bare feet in what Jesse assumed were his night clothes, circling the bed until he could set down the tray on a corner table. “Are you well?”

Jesse subconsciously balled the blankets up over his crotch just a _bit_ thicker than normal and sat up a little straighter. “As well as can be expected, considerin’ I got decked in the nose,” he said with a light chuckle. Hanzo didn’t seem amused in the slightest, searching his face with keen eyes. Jesse shifted under his scrutiny and looked away. “Uh…I got a bit of a headache,” he finally admitted.

“I assumed you might,” the knight replied, taking the lid off a bowl on the tray to reveal a thick white cloth, steaming in hot water. He lifted it, wrung it out, and neatly folded it. “I boiled some water and added some herbs,” he explained, moving forward to press the cloth to Jesse’s head. It smelled good and felt even better, especially since the prince could feel Hanzo’s hand holding it in place.

“I use it for sore muscles sometimes. It will not get rid of it completely, but it should dull the pain for a time,” he continued, nodding his head to instruct Jesse to hold it there instead. The prince almost pouted, but did so, crossing his eyes briefly to watch a stray drop of water travel down the bridge of his nose.

A cup of tea was shoved under his chin – warm brown liquid pooled in a white cup with a gold rim, sat delicately on a white saucer. Jesse blinked at it like he’d never seen such a thing before, but eventually got his arm to cooperate and took it before setting it in his lap.

“I apologize,” Hanzo eventually said, curling his legs beneath himself until he was sitting against the wall nearby. “For my brother, I mean. He is…difficult. I hope you will not judge him too harshly for it.”

“If it means I can get more of your attention like this, I’ll gladly let him punch me every day of the week,” Jesse winked, unable to help himself. Hanzo seemed unimpressed, but Jesse could see that soft little blush he sometimes got at the tops of his cheeks. Dropping lines like that would be worth it if he got to see reactions like that, no matter how subtle.

When he caught Hanzo staring and the knight bashfully looked away, Jesse felt a dreamy sigh bubbling up within him. Oh _man_ , he was a goner.

“You, uh…you didn’t have t’do this, y’know,” he said, sipping his tea to give himself a distraction. It was light in flavor and just a tad too hot as it washed over his tongue, but what was a little burn when it meant he got to share a conversation with the prettiest man in the kingdom? “I ain’t mad or anythin’.”

“You are the prince,” Hanzo said monotonously. “Though, regardless of your station, I would have provided you with the same sort of treatment. You are, first and foremost, a guest in my home.”

Jesse eyed him over the cup with a raised eyebrow, tapping his fingertips against the warm rag as he continued to press it close. His home. _Hanzo’s_ home. Why did the idea of being there make him feel giddy? Jesse tried to chock it up to it just being remnants left over from the dream, but in the end he had to admit that he was just _happy_ to be sharing space with Hanzo again.

“Well…thanks,” he said eloquently, lifting his teacup in a mock toast before taking another sip. “Good t’know you won’t be avoidin’ me like you were…at least for a little while.”

“Does a rag and a cup of tea signify some sort of truce at the castle?” Hanzo asked, mirroring Jesse’s arched eyebrow. The prince coughed his tea and had to lick his lips to keep from making a mess of himself. If he caught the way the knight’s eyes lingered there, he didn’t mention it.

“Did you just make a joke?” Jesse asked in pleasant surprise.

“It was a genuine question,” Hanzo replied with a shrug, though Jesse caught the minute uptick at the corners of his mouth.

“What happened to the meek Hanzo I met that night during the party?” Jesse teased. “The one who could barely look at me in the stable?” Ugh, the _stable._ If Jesse wasn’t careful, he was going to get himself hard again. The way Hanzo squirmed where he sat didn’t help in the slightest.

“My… _anger_ towards you after being caught helped dissuade that behavior in the beginning,” he explained. “But then I became increasingly aware that you are not the type of ruler who would punish me for disobedience, so I am more… _comfortable_ , I suppose.”

“Y’thought I was gonna punish you?” Jesse barked out a laugh, setting down the rag as it had begun to lose its warmth. Hanzo pushed himself to his feet and took it from him with a roll of his eyes. Jesse caught his wrist and wiggled his eyebrows. “D’you _want_ me to punish you?”

Hanzo tried to hide his shudder, but Jesse felt it. He ran the pad of his thumb over the inside of his wrist until Hanzo drew it out of his grasp. The prince took mercy and let him go, but grinned wolfishly nonetheless.

“Do not confuse my comfort for foolishness, Your Highness,” Hanzo said, taking his seat by the wall again after the rag had been dropped into the bowl. “I am well aware of your reputation and have no desire to add to it.”

“My reputation?” Jesse asked, his brows raising up to his hairline. “For being devilishly handsome? A good hunter? A snappy dresser?”

“For being a playboy. Several of the maids and stable hands have already regaled me with tales of your lechery,” Hanzo clarified with a slight growl. Jesse’s jaw snapped closed with an audible click.

“Are you…are you _jealous_?” Jesse eventually asked, amusement coloring his voice. Hanzo sputtered, his face fully flushed now.

“Of course not! I have no interest in being-“

“Oh _honey_. Trust me, you got _nothin’_ to worry about,” Jesse crooned, leaning a little further in his direction. “I’ve only got eyes for _you_. None o’them even hold a _candle_ to-“

“Spare me the oh-so-charming one-liners,” Hanzo huffed, folding his arms. “As I said before, regardless of your _intentions_ , accepting your affections would only result in a loss of respect in the eyes of my fellow knights. I aim to climb the ranks thanks to my own merit, not because of special treatment by a member of the royal family.”

“Aw, you _wound_ me, darlin’” Jesse pouted, putting a hand to his chest. “The only special treatment I’d aim t’give you would be behind closed doors. Preferably by candlelight after roses and champagne, deep enough t’make you walk funny the next day.”

“Do you ever _stop?_ ” Hanzo asked, his skin a lovely shade of tomato red.

“Mm, not until the second or third round, no,” Jesse winked. “And with someone like you? Shit, I wouldn’t say no to a fourth or fifth, provided we get in a good nap an’ a glass of water.”

“You are incorrigible,” Hanzo muttered.

“I get that a lot,” Jesse laughed to himself, settling back down in the bed with a wriggle. Hanzo had a damn good mattress – not one of those soft goose down things from the palace, but still very comfortable. He raised his hands to clasp behind his head, and then chanced a glance back over to Hanzo. The knight remained on the floor, and for the first time, Jesse noticed a quilt had been rolled out near him.

“You can’t be plannin’ to sleep on the floor,” he said incredulously.

“You are in my bed with a head injury,” Hanzo said flatly.

“There’s plenty of room,” Jesse countered.

“Absolutely not.”

“I… _order_ you to come lay down?” Jesse ventured with a hopeful grin. Hanzo sputtered again, mouth opening and closing, before he abruptly shut it. With a deep frown, he stood, turned down the lantern by the window, and tentatively crawled in beside the prince. Jesse was ready to whoop in victory, but instead made room for him as best he could. Hanzo remained poised stiffly at one end, his back facing him.

“Better?”

“That was… _cheap_ ,” Hanzo muttered, taking a word from Genji’s book. Jesse just laughed, returning to his former position to stare at the ceiling.

“Nah, I just know you’re too stubborn to avoid a bad back in the mornin’,” Jesse said. “Trust me, I know when t’use my powers for good.”

Hanzo scoffed and Jesse tilted his head. “What was _that_ for?”

“Using your position to coax me into my own bed is _hardly_ ‘using your powers for good.’ Using your status as prince to lower taxes on the common folk, or convincing your father to lower the military budget in favor of supplying more food – _those_ would be better examples.”

“You’re a knight,” Jesse said with a scoff of his own. “Why would you want less money goin’ towards that sort of thing?”

“I am also one of the few that lives beyond the barracks,” Hanzo countered. “Some of those housing units are better equipped than entire _buildings_ near here. Even if this house was not something passed down to be by my father, I would still choose to live amongst your subjects than in the barracks. True vision requires a broad scope.”

Jesse furrowed his brows at the back of Hanzo’s head and then turned his eyes back upwards.

“Never heard a knight talk like that before,” Jesse admitted softly. “Most of ‘em are as bad as some of my parents’ friends.”

“My mother was not of nobility,” Hanzo said quickly. “She and my father married in secrecy right before I was born. I was…allowed to see both sides of the spectrum.”

“Hm,” was all Jesse could say, mulling over Hanzo’s words in his head. Then, after a moment, “…why tell me all that? I thought you didn’t wanna have anythin’ to do with me.”

Hanzo hazarded a glance at the prince over his shoulder, eyed him for a moment, and then settled back again, his eyes on the door.

“You are not as bad as Commander Morrison led me to believe,” Hanzo said softly. “That is, when you are not attempting to be charming.”

“I don’t attempt, sweetheart. I _succeed_.”

Hanzo could only grunt before letting out a monstrous yawn, stretching his legs out like a cat. Jesse took the opportunity to scoot just a _hair_ closer. And then a bit more. By the time he was sure Hanzo had finally dozed off, Jesse was close enough to feel his body heat and smell his hair.

He was almost disappointed that he would have to return to the castle when the sun rose, ending this beautifully domestic encounter before it even really began. He would have loved to linger in that house a little longer, pretending responsibility wasn’t threatening to knock down his door at any moment. Just he and Hanzo. And occasionally Genji, but he reasoned anything would be worth it for _Hanzo._ His Hanzo.

“Jesse?” came a sleepy question that snapped him out of his reverie.

“Mm?” he asked.

“Please take your hand off my backside.”

Jesse could only snort out a laugh and remove the offending appendage, holding it up defensively even though Hanzo couldn’t see it.

“Sorry, sugar. Got a mind of its own.”

“Go to sleep,” he yawned again, snuggling further into his pillow. He didn’t sound all that irritated, honestly, which only served to make Jesse bolder. He turned onto his side and tangled his fingers in Hanzo’s hair, letting it slip between his fingers in a calm, easy rhythm. The knight sighed contently.

Jesse wasn’t sure when he finally drifted off himself.

When he did, instead of dreaming of Hanzo on his knees, he pictured them standing side-by-side, their hands entwined and fingers laced.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my twitter: @heysugarmaddy  
> my tumblr: sugarmaddy.tumblr.com  
> or buy me a ko-fi: www.ko-fi.com/sugarmaddy
> 
> thanks for reading!


	6. Caught

When Jesse awoke, it was to late morning sunshine muddled by drawn curtains. As his senses slowly kicked into gear, he became vaguely aware of the musty scent of old books permeating the air, the occasional creaking of wooden floorboards, and the soft, white sheets beneath his head.

That, and he was warm. _Pleasantly_ warm. And it wasn’t the same kind of warmth that happened when one of his servants stoked the fire in his room – there was no crackle of burning wood or clanking of a poker stoking the embers. This _radiated_ all the way from his toes to his lips circulating through his arms.

His arms which were currently wrapped around…something.

Scratch that. Some _one._

Blearily, he blinked to clear the fuzziness from his vision, only to be greeted by something soft, shiny, and black. A wispy sigh beneath him caused his eyebrows to skyrocket up to his hairline.

Somehow, purely through sheer dumb luck, Hanzo had ended up in Jesse’s arms. And it got better. It wasn’t as though the knight had simply been claimed victim by the prince’s unconscious snuggling; Hanzo was turned _towards_ him, his head pressed up under his chin. Surprisingly delicate fingers were tangled near his collarbone, barely brushing the exposed skin of his chest through his undershirt.

The prince turned his eyes to the ceiling and uttered a silent prayer in his mind, tightening his grip _just_ enough to make Hanzo nuzzle against his throat. Jesse could feel the knight’s furrowed brow, pulled tight even in his sleep, and did his best to smooth it by stroking his back in tender little circles. Eventually Hanzo relaxed and sighed breathily, and Jesse felt the distinct rush of victory blooming in his chest.

He had to be dreaming. He _had_ to be. This had to be some kind of side effect from an obvious head injury. But _hell_ , even if it was, this was the best damn head injury Jesse had ever experienced. And he’d had some doozies.

He wanted to _bask_ in this. Hanzo’s hair smelled like honey and his skin smelled like fresh cotton. How could a knight, a trained _warrior_ and nobleman, smell so clean and perfect? How could Jesse be this far _gone_ on a man he’d met in a hallway before a night of binge drinking?

“Jesse…?”

Alright, no one had _any_ damn right to sound _that_ good after just waking up. And saying his name like that just… _ugh._ It’d only take a _little_ move to roll his knight onto his back, trail kisses down his throat, and eagerly reward him with some slow, lazy morning fucking. Distracted beyond belief, Jesse wondered how _pretty_ a sleepy Hanzo would sound, moaning as his prince swallowed his cock down like wine. He pictured the way Hanzo would smile up at him, sweaty and sated in the haze of afterglow, his expression making Jesse feel like the luckiest bastard in the world.

“Jesse?” he asked again after clearing his throat.

Oh. _Oh._ This was the part where he was supposed to say something.

“Mm?” Jesse answered, putting his limited acting skills to good use by yawning exaggeratedly and lifting a hand to rub his eyes. “What’s wrong, honeybee?”

“You are… _holding_ me,” Hanzo said, pausing for a moment to try and find the word he wanted to use.

“Oh yeah…?” Jesse asked, feigning ignorance, before leaning back to look down. “Hell. Woudja look at that.”

“Do you plan on releasing me?” Hanzo asked, sounding more and more perturbed the more awake he became. It was oddly endearing, like a kitten being forced to wake up after a nap that was just too short.

“Eventually, sure,” Jesse said with a light squeeze, amusement clear on his lips as he buried his nose into Hanzo’s hair.

“Your _Highness_ ,” Hanzo huffed, making Jesse frown. “This is… _embarrassing.”_

“I don’t see you tryin’ to get up, sugar,” Jesse pointed out. “An’ there ain’t nobody here besides me an’ you. Let’s just enjoy each other’s company for a while longer.”

“Is that another order?” Hanzo asked grumpily.

“Ouch. That _hurts_ , honeybunch,” Jesse sighed with mock sadness. “C’mon. I’m _comfy._ Just relax.”

“ _Genji_ may be here,” Hanzo pointed out, narrowing his eyes.

“Honey, with the amount he drank last night? I _doubt_ he’s that much of an early bird. We’ll be lucky if he ain’t _dead._ Just quit makin’ so much noise and it won’t be an issue.”

The knight continued to squirm just a _bit_ too much for Jesse’s liking, and he was suddenly faced with the reality that this little piece of heaven he’d carved for himself in this unfamiliar bedroom was about to go down in flames. So now he had to pull out the big guns.

A word Jesse hadn’t _consciously_ said in…well, for as long as he could remember. A decade, at least.

“… _please_?”

Hanzo stilled. Jesse breathed a sigh of relief. He sighed contentedly and rubbed his cheek against the pillow.

“…you are still feeling alright, I take it? No pain?”

Jesse blinked his eyes open and looked down at the top of his prisoner’s head.

“My oh my. Is that a hint of _concern_ I hear?” he asked, his blinding smile being wasted on Hanzo, who didn’t look up to see it.

“I simply do not want a member of the royal family dying in my home,” Hanzo said bluntly. “And I was hoping to discuss _why_ you were pursuing my brother. I avoided the subject last night to give you time to recover.”

“Shit, like I said. You were avoidin’ me,” Jesse shrugged, closing his eyes again. “Figured your brother might be able t’help in that department.”

“…and how would he do that, exactly?”

“Well I…”

He had to pause when he realized he really didn’t have any sort of plan worked out in that department. It wasn’t until Hanzo cleared his throat again that Jesse let his eyes flutter open so that he could pull a bashful face.

“I woulda figured somethin’ out. Seems like a nice enough fella.”

Hanzo could only make a noncommittal grunt. He’d gone stiff as a board in Jesse’s arms, his arms still folded. The prince could envision what his face looked like as it remained pressed close to his chest – tight, tense, and dreadfully uncomfortable.

“You really hate this, don’t you?” Jesse said, disappointment coating his words as he leaned himself back to let Hanzo go free. Much to his surprise, the knight didn’t immediately flee, but instead rolled onto his back to brace himself up on his elbows. He snorted and rolled his eyes at Jesse’s response.

“Even if I were to disregard the _multitude_ of things wrong with this situation, I believe it is relatively normal to find it difficult to relax when in the arms of a man you barely know.”

_Bingo._ Jesse’s disappointment shattered into a thousand tiny pieces as an idea hit him like a hammer.

“Okay, so let’s get to know each other.”

Hanzo eyed him sideways, cautiously moving to stand instead.

“There is no time for something so frivolous. It is already past sunrise. You need to get back to the castle or there will be hell to pay.”

But Jesse quickly shot his hand out like a snake to take hold of Hanzo’s wrist. He pulled the grin from his face and replaced it with the biggest set of puppy dog eyes he could muster. The steely amber eyes of the hunter morphed into one of the strongest weapons in Jesse’s arsenal. But…just in case…

“Please?”

It had worked once. No harm in trying it a second time.

The knight fixed him in a cautious look and then sat back down at the edge of the bed with an exasperated exhalation. Bullseye. The eyes never failed.

“I suppose I could answer one question.”

“Twenty.”

Hanzo reared back like he’d been slapped. “What?”

“Twenty questions. That’s what it’s called. What we’re doin’,” Jesse said, resting his cheek on his fist to just enjoy _staring_ at Hanzo’s pretty face. A pretty face that was currently scowling back at him, thoroughly unamused.

“…Three.”

“Ten.”

“Five.”

“…Okay, okay, five,” Jesse conceded, sitting up to nestle himself against the pillows. While Hanzo rolled his eyes, Jesse surged inwardly in triumph. If he had a tail, it would be wagging harder than a hound facing a dripping steak.

“Get on with it,” Hanzo muttered with a wave of his hand. _God_ he was beautiful when he was irritated.

But oh. Shit. Jesse needed to actually come up with _questions._ He hurriedly scrambled, but, true to form, spat out the first one that came to mind. In hindsight, he _probably_ should have prepared a bit more.

“Does heaven know its missin’ an angel?”

Hanzo could only stare at him as his eyes widened in slow realization. Jesse really didn’t know _where_ he was going with that one, but it sure sounded good, so he followed it up with a wink. The knight could only flounder like a fish, mouth opening and closing as he struggled for words, unsure whether he should be infuriated, surprised, or any number of conflicting emotions. After a few moments, he seemed to settle on annoyed.

“We do not have _time_ for this,” Hanzo growled, though his cheeks had picked up a bit of pink in the meantime. “I thought this was at least _somewhat_ serious, but seeing as how you insist on playing _games_...”

“Okay, okay, sorry. Couldn’t resist,” Jesse chuckled, holding his hands up defensively. “That one don’t count.”

“Yes, it does,” Hanzo said, his lips forming a thin line. “You have four left. And _only_ four.”

“Aw, lighten up, Han. You can ask me questions too, y’know,” Jesse offered, giving him a gentle nudge with his elbow. “Might make things a bit more interestin’. You might actually have some _fun._ ”

“I told you,” Hanzo said, ignoring the second part of his statement as he picked at a piece of lint on the blanket. “I know a decent amount about you already. Most noblemen in the area do.”

“Yeah, but not _everything”_ Jesse reasoned. “Betcha don’t know what my favorite food is.”

“Does liquor count?” Hanzo asked with a flat look.

“ _Now_ who’s not bein’ serious!” Jesse whined. “I do more than drink!”

“You do, but I do not think one can derive sustenance from incessantly talking,” Hanzo shot back. Now it was Jesse’s turn to sputter, stuck between wanting to retort and wanting to stay quiet to keep from proving his point. He chose to pout.

“Please,” Hanzo said smugly. “Continue.”

Jesse narrowed his eyes at him and chewed on the inside of his cheek. His gaze drifted, as if drawn, to the bookshelf across the room. He’d barely noticed it before, but now he was quite aware of its looming presence nearly stretching to the ceiling, casting a deep shadow in the morning sunlight.

Dogeared and worn, a large brown novel with gold embossed lettering on its spine stuck out. It had obviously seen better days, but its presence still made Jesse perk up a bit.

“…you’ve read _Beowulf_?”

Hanzo blinked in surprise and let his arms unfold before he turned to follow the prince’s gaze. He looked back to him with the slightest of smirks.

“Several times,” Hanzo said. “More than several, actually.”

“Shit, it’s one of my favorites,” Jesse said with a genuine smile. “My teacher Gabriel gave me a copy when I was old enough hopin’ it’d get me to read more. Didn’t pick it up for a while because I’m a stubborn git, but once I did I couldn’t put it down.”

Hanzo looked thoroughly intrigued, and pulled his legs up to his chest so he could regard Jesse fully.

“You do not strike me as a fan of poetry, much less that of the epic variety.”

“I’m full of surprises, sugar,” Jesse said, wiggling his eyebrows. To hit the point home, he pressed a hand to his chest and cleared his throat dramatically. “ _Then from the moorland, by misty crags, with God’s wrath laden, Grendel came. The monster was minded of mankind now, sundry to seize in the stately house.”_

Hanzo’s soft smile grew by a fraction as Jesse recited the snippet of narrative, forcing his accent into an elaborate rolling of words over his tongue, curling his fingers into mock claws. Unable to resist, he jumped up with vigor and curled his lip, swinging his hands into exaggerated movements.

_“Straightway he seized a sleeping warrior for the first, and tore him fiercely asunder,”_ Hanzo said in a low growl, playing the part of a terrorizing monster. “ _The bone-frame bit, drank blood in streams, swallowed him piecemeal: swiftly thus the lifeless corpse was clear devoured, even feet and hands.”_

“Y’skipped a few lines,” Jesse said teasingly, though he was grinning like a fool. Seeing Hanzo have fun was like being privy to witness some secret treasure. By the end of Hanzo’s acting debut, Jesse was leaning forward with his legs folded, his eyes crinkled in a smile that was so wide it _hurt._

“I liked that part,” Hanzo said haughtily, folding his arms as he flopped backwards to sit on the bed again. But it wasn’t long before he fixed Jesse with glittering brown eyes. Jesse found himself almost hypnotized by the excitement in them.

“Your turn.”

“H…huh?” Jesse asked stupidly.

“It is your turn,” Hanzo said, looking amused. “There is much of the poem left to cover.”

“We ain’t gonna sit here reciting the whole thing, are we?” Jesse asked, though he really wouldn’t have minded in the slightest. He was having more fun here in this dimly lit room with Hanzo than he had in a really long time.

“Mm, no, I suppose not,” Hanzo said. “We can stop after your turn. But _only_ if you give a decent enough performance.”

“Sounds like a challenge,” Jesse said.

“Oh, it is,” Hanzo said, batting his eyelashes. It made Jesse’s mouth run dry. “But surely a prince can rise to such a task? Perhaps put that ever-running mouth to good use?”

“Shit, darlin’, y’can’t just _say_ stuff like that,” Jesse chuckled breathily, though he stood anyway. If Hanzo wanted a performance, _hell_ , he was gonna get a performance.

The prince stood tall in the center of the room, hands on his hips and feet spread in a heroic stance. Knowing that Hanzo was looking, he puffed out his chest and flashed him a wink.

“ _Then Beowulf came as king this broad realm to wield, and he ruled it well fifty winters, a wise old prince,”_ Jesse said in a booming voice, striking his chest once with a closed fist. He strode around the room, looking down upon the empty floor as if it were his subjects, only urged on by the soft snicker he heard from the knight seated on the bed.

_“Until One began in the dark of night, a Dragon, to rage!_ ” He quickly leapt from the floor and onto the bed, baring his teeth at Hanzo. The pace of his voice quickened until it was a flurry of hushed words for the next part, and he leaned down to whisper it into his ear like a shared secret. _“A strait path reached it, unknown to mortals. Some man, however, came by the chance that cave within to the heathen hoard. In hand he took a golden goblet, nor gave he it back, stole with it away, while the watcher slept, by thievish wiles: for the warden’s wrath prince and people pay betimes!”_

For once, Jesse had no idea how close he’d gotten to Hanzo until the knight turned his head to look at him. They were barely inches apart, Jesse slightly out of breath. Hanzo seemed just as aware of the sudden electricity as Jesse, as his eyes were stuck staring at the prince’s mouth.

“…good enough performance?” Jesse asked softly, turning to lean a bit more of his body weight towards the other man. Hanzo paused like he was considering his words, biting down on his plump lower lip just enough to pull Jesse’s attention down.

“…we have a fool for a prince.”

Suddenly Hanzo was pressing their mouths together, harsh and hungry. Jesse made a surprised noise in the back of his throat, but _oh…_ it was _so_ good. A surge of heat shot through him, molten and heady, muting his thoughts completely. He hurriedly tilted his head to deepen the kiss, threading his fingers in that thick head of dark hair. It quickly dissolved into a rushed mix of tongue, teeth and lips, soft groans filling the space in between. Hanzo grabbed at Jesse’s shirt to yank him closer and the prince was only happy to oblige, slotting himself between a pair of muscular thighs until there was barely room to determine where one body started and the other began.

 Hanzo’s lips were hot and plush, parting readily for a tongue desperate to explore the unfamiliar territory. Jesse moved, slowly, lowering his knight down to the bed while he practically _ripped_ his own shirt off. He parted from Hanzo’s mouth to bite and kiss and mark his way down the exposed skin on the line of his throat, but had barely gotten started when he found the tables had turned. One moment his nose was buried against soft skin that smelled purely of _Hanzo_ , and the next he was sadly bereft, staring at the ceiling. Hanzo hadn’t gone far. The knight was straddling his waist like the prince was a horse waiting to be ridden.

Jesse opened his mouth to voice a question, but a hard grinding of hips had his voice trailing off into a groan. Hanzo swallowed it greedily, pulling the breath from his lungs. In the blink of an eye the knight was topless, his shirt lying carelessly on a bedpost where he’d tossed it. Jesse desperately scrabbled between their hips, his metal hand yanking down Hanzo’s waistband while his flesh one pulled him down by the back of the neck.

Another rocking of Hanzo’s hips had Jesse seeing stars. The knight wasn’t doing much better, eyes shut as he desperately sought out friction, breath coming out in pants.

“J- _Jesse…_ ” he gasped as the prince took a firm hold of his ass with his metal hand, kneading the flesh. It was pure muscle – thick and round and-

“Perfect,” Jesse groaned, leaning up to catch Hanzo’s lips again. "God, Hanzo, you're fuckin'  _perfect_." 

Hanzo let out a desperate noise and ground his hips down _hard_ , making Jesse’s toes curl and his heels dig in against the mattress.

“Fuck… _fuck…_ ” Jesse moaned, his head rolling back. He barely felt the movement beneath the pillow beneath his head until the scent of almonds filled the air. Eyelids fluttering open, Jesse only had enough time to take in the sight of the small glass bottle of oil before a slick hand was sliding around his cock, exposing it to the open air. It _throbbed_ beneath Hanzo’s fingers, hard and thick. The sight and feel of it had Hanzo transfixed as he stroked the prince from root to tip. Jesse had to tip his head back just to _breathe_ , his eyes shut tightly.

But he was suddenly left wanton as that same slick hand found his own. Almond oil quickly covered his flesh hand as Hanzo tangled their fingers together, pulling his hand down to the front of his pants in a silent request.

“ _Please_ ,” Hanzo pleaded, resting his forehead against Jesse’s, licking his lips. _Shit_ , how could Jesse say no to that? Hanzo deserved that and _more_. Jesse wanted to _give_ and _give._

He quickly shifted until Hanzo’s cock – his pretty, _leaking_ cock – was out and pressed into his palm. It only took a few breathless seconds until they were grinding their shafts together, desperate for release. Jesse took Hanzo’s hand and encircled it with his own around them both until a they could both fuck into the tight, slick circle. Hanzo’s voice was nothing more than high, breathless gasps of Jesse’s name. He wouldn’t last long at this rate and oh _hell_ was it gorgeous to see. Neither of them needed to think. Neither of them needed to worry. They just needed to _feel_ and be felt.

“Don’t stop, baby…” Jesse cooed in between bites and moans of his own. “ _Don’t stop, Hanzo_ …”

A few more thrusts was all it took. Hanzo buried his face in Jesse’s neck and keened as thick ropes of cum pooled over their wrists and between their fingers. Jesse wasn’t long after, hips jutting up into the air as his back arched into a tight curve.

Hanzo fell limply against him like a sack of potatoes, breathing like he’d just done a lap around the castle. Jesse let his eyelids flutter shut as he reveled in the warm afterglow that was draped over them both. _God_ it felt so good. Every muscle was melted back into the bed like it’d been _made_ for them, urging Jesse back down into the depths of sleep. Hanzo nestled against him like a perfectly crafted piece of armor, his curves sinking into the dips in Jesse’s stomach.

“…this is awful.”

Jesse’s eyes snapped open instantly and his head jerked down to eye the knight draped over him like he had ten heads.

“What?” he asked, sitting up slightly. Hanzo still hadn’t moved. In fact, he’d nuzzled his head further against Jesse’s chest before he turned his neck up just enough to lock eyes with him. There was a heavy pause before the knight growled softly and pushed himself away. Even during this sudden bout of anger, he looked about as reluctant to move from that warm bed as Jesse was.

“This is _awful_ ,” he repeated, throwing his hands in the air as he rummaged through a drawer for a rag. “Foolish and _stupid._ ”

“Woah, woah,” Jesse urged with a hand out, the spell thoroughly broken between them. “Wait…I didn’t force…I mean…didn’t you enjoy yourself?” he asked, gesturing to the remaining remnants that Hanzo had helped leave against his stomach.

“Of _course_ I did!” Hanzo shouted, yanking his shirt back over his head once he’d wiped himself off.

Jesse’s brows furrowed. “I…honey, I’m a bit lost, here. What’s the problem exactly?”

Hanzo sighed exasperatedly and threw his gaze to the ceiling. “Don’t you understand what this _means?”_ he asked, rolling his shoulders until he was faced away from Jesse’s confused gaze. The prince honestly _didn’t_ , and his silence spoke volumes.

“No matter how hard I try…” Hanzo started, this time softer. “…I am still _hopelessly_ attracted to you. I just…cannot escape how I feel. It is _idiotic. Weak._ ”

Jesse didn’t know if he could hold back the sheer elation the words brought up inside him. But that initial burst of positive energy was quickly followed by…trepidation? Worry?

Jesse had had lovers tell him similar things before. Most were said flippantly or in the heat of the moment – _expected_ during the circumstances. He hadn’t thought much about those little admissions. They meant just about as much as the flings they were said during. But this was _Hanzo_ and those words, said in that way, sounded like a confession of _guilt._ Like he’d done something _wrong._

And now Jesse was filled with the overwhelming urge to _comfort._

“Hey…” he said, shifting against the bed until he was able to gently tug at the sleeve of Hanzo’s shirt to draw him in. The knight was hesitant, but followed the pull until he was standing between Jesse’s knees.

“Is that such a bad thing?” Jesse asked.

“I have _told_ you why it is,” Hanzo said, his voice clipped. “You are nothing but a pleasure-seeker, unable to be serious about-“

“ _Hey_ now,” Jesse said more loudly, cutting him off. “I’m right here, y’know. And I can be serious.” He paused, then leaned forward to place a kiss to Hanzo’s collarbone. “For you, I can be serious. Hell, I’m still here, ain’t I? I ain’t tryin’ to jump out a window or hide in a closet. We’re still talkin’. I still _wanna_ be here.”

Hanzo rested his forehead against Jesse’s and sighed, looking defeated. “Even if you _chose_ to change _…_ I cannot succeed as a knight if people think it is due to royal intervention. Respect must be earned, not-”

“No one’s gotta know,” Jesse offered.

“Your _Highness-_ “

“Hanzo, don’t call me that,” Jesse said with finality. The knight closed his mouth. Now it was Jesse’s turn to sigh, bringing a hand up to twirl a lock of hair between his fingers. “You said it yourself, Han. We’re _hopeless_ for each other. I feel it too. Can’t stop thinkin’ about you. It’s got me turned inside out and _crazy._ That’s gotta mean somethin’, right? Don’t you wanna just _try?”_

Hanzo was quiet, but didn’t move from where he stood. Jesse could feel desperation bubbling up from the pit of his stomach.

“ _I_ wanna try,” Jesse said, tipping Hanzo’s chin up with his thumb and forefinger until he looked into his eyes. “I’ve never wanted to try with anyone before but…I _do_ with you. And no one needs to know if you don’t want ‘em to. It can just be us, Han. Not a prince. Not a knight. Just…Hanzo and Jesse.”

Hanzo broke their gaze and yanked himself away, leaving Jesse alone on the bed.

“Please get dressed, Your Highness,” he said near the door, ignoring Jesse’s indignant growl. “We must get you back to the castle. The King and Queen must be worried.”   

And then the door was shut and Jesse was left sitting, half-naked and messy, alone in Hanzo’s room. He’d gone from feeling like the luckiest bastard on earth to feeling like he’d been stabbed in a matter of minutes. As he adjusted his pants and rooted around for his shirt, he decided that _feeling_ things about someone beyond lust was just about one of the worst things on the planet. Endless war strategy meetings and wearing stuffy robes for the rest of his life were _nothing_ compared to the sinking stones piling up in his gut. He felt like he was tending to wounds as he used the discarded rag to clean himself up.

He heard a muffled ‘good morning’ from downstairs, followed by a loud _thud._ Poor Genji, Jesse thought distractedly. The poor fool had chosen _that_ moment to wake, and judging by the wailing, Hanzo had thrown something at him in a fit of poorly-contained rage.

The prince glared at himself in the smudged mirror near the bookshelf on the other side of the room as he pulled the toggles of his jacket until they were all fit snugly. His eyes floated back over to that thick volume of _Beowulf_ with the gold lettering, and all at once it occurred to him – he’d caught his prey. Or rather, Hanzo had caught _him._ He’d tasted his skin and shared his bed. So why did none of it seem to matter?

Suddenly, there was a second realization, and with newfound focus, Jesse strode to the door and quickly shut it behind him.

He was no longer hunting the knight for his body.

He was after his _heart_.

 

 

They never did get to the rest of those questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the Beowulf quotes used in this were taken from the modern English translation found here: 
> 
> https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50114/beowulf-modern-english-translation
> 
>  
> 
> sorry for the delays in these chapters. i've been having a really hard time writing lately. but i'm doing my best!
> 
> i have a twitter: @heysugarmaddy  
> and a tumblr: sugarmaddy.tumblr.com  
> and a ko-fi, but no one donates so i'm not gonna bother lol. check my profile if you have any inclination. <3
> 
> thank you for reading!


	7. Tinderbox

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry its been so long, folks! my motivation has been severely lacking in terms of writing lately. i also finished the epilogue for my other fic, One Long River, in between my last update and now, so that took up a bit of time as well. 
> 
> I hope the fact that this chapter is a bit longer makes up for it! 
> 
> as usual, comments and kudos are appreciated!

Jesse had a knack for purposefully avoiding negative experiences. He was a prince after all, and had no obligation to undergo any such torment. He could often count on a spare bottle of thick mead or a pretty little thing on his arm to distract him when he knew things were bound to go sour.

This time, as he paused at the top of the stairs and clenched his fist on the bannister, he realized he had neither of those things. He’d have to face this one head-on and work his way through it.

Jesse supposed that he was lucky that this _particular_ situation happened to have pretty brown eyes and nicely calloused palms.

His booted feet hit the stairs one by one with all the weight of cannonballs as he quickly strategized in his head. He nervously tugged at the wrists of his gloved hands and adjusted the hat on his head, eager for something to take his mind away from the recent memory of Hanzo’s skin beneath it. Life just wasn’t _fair_ , he reminded himself. To give him such a beautiful mouthful of happiness before smacking the spoon from his hand and shoving him from the chair.

Genji was rubbing the side of his head with a scowl on his face as he met Jesse at the bottom of the stairs. He was dressed in his usual courier’s uniform, his bag slung at his hip, and a spare boot was dangling from his fingers – Hanzo’s weapon of choice, Jesse surmised. Upon seeing him, his eyes widened and he dropped his hand, bowing his head. Jesse bit back the urge to roll his eyes. For once, he wasn’t in any mood for courtly pleasantries.

“Y-Your Highness, I…”

“Genji, right?” he cut him off, earning a nervous smile and a few blinks.

“That’s right!” he said, straightening his posture and widening the smile into a charming grin.

“Just call me Jesse,” he said, offering his hand to shake. “An whatever it is you’re about to say, don’t worry about it. Head’s fine, just a lil’ bruised. Ain’t the first time I’ve had that combo goin’, an’ I did surprise you, so I ain’t holdin’ it against you.”

From the looks of him and from what Jesse could remember from the night before at the tavern, Genji was just as blessed with the gift of gab as he was. Words came freely and easily, full of charm and humor. When Genji opened and closed his mouth a few times, struggling to find something to come back with, Jesse knew he’d thrown him off completely. He was slowly getting used to the reaction. Princes weren’t supposed to speak that way, nor were they supposed to simply shrug their noble shoulders at being accosted in an alley and essentially kidnapped. But, as Gabe was so keen to remind him, Jesse wasn’t a very good prince. He just sighed and patted his shoulder.

“Which way did Sir Stormcloud get off to?”

Genji’s brows furrowed and his mouth finally snapped shut, but he quickly caught up to the change in topic. His emotive countenance was in strict contrast with his brother, which would have amused Jesse if he wasn’t feeling so somber.

“Someone was at the door,” Genji shrugged.

“Any idea who?” Jesse asked, his hackles rising. Despite everything, he was still desperately aware that he was a member of _royalty_ out in the open with no guards or weapons. It would be unusual for someone to have tracked him this far, but not unheard of.

“Sounded like Jamison and Mako,” Genji said, sliding his hands up and around the strap of his bag. When Jesse raised an eyebrow in his direction, Genji sputtered. “Local vagrants – people call them Rat and Hog. Hanzo once caught them attempting to steal silver candlesticks from a stall at the market and Jamison has enjoyed harassing him in retribution ever since.” After a moment’s hesitation, he added: “…Jamie…isn’t the sharpest tool. But his associate Mako is intimidating enough to make up for it.”

Jesse wrinkled his nose in distaste and moved towards the front door, pressing his ear to it. Even through the thick wood, he could make out the almost maniacal tone of voice that interjected once in a while, laughing raucously at nothing in particular.

“Oh come off it, mate! Me an’ ol’ Hoggie have it on good authority that you’ve got quite the prize nestled somewhere in that tinderbox you live in!”

“You are mistaken,” came Hanzo’s smooth reply. Jesse could picture the expression on his face – a mix of annoyance and boredom that probably came accompanied with him examining his fingernails or tapping them on the hilt of his sword.

“Rosie from th’pub said that Roger told ‘er that No-Hair Jim saw Genji sock a bloke that looked _surprisingly_ like the ol’ hoity toity prince ‘imself. An’ No-Hair Jim don’t lie!”

“ _I ain’t hoity toity_ …” Jesse muttered to himself, pulling a face. 

“As I said before,” Hanzo said, keeping his voice passive and disinterested. “You are mistaken. Your friend must have had a bit too much to drink.”

“Look, just let us have ‘im,” Rat pleaded. “Promise we won’t hurt ‘im! Me an’ Hoggie just wanna hold ‘im for a lil’ ransom! Jus’ for a few days! Ain’t that right, Hog?”

Jesse heard a heavy sigh echo in response, but no real words. Whoever the third member of this little conversation was, he was _big_ , because it sounded more like an ox than a man. Though…if he was being honest, Jesse wouldn’t put it past this character – Rat – to go about yammering incessantly to an ox.

“You are an imbecile,” Hanzo said bluntly, making Jesse smirk despite himself. “Forgive me, but allow me to get this straight. You think that I, a knight sworn in service to the king, would willingly allow you, common criminals, to simply walk off with the prince? Assuming I was hosting him within my home to begin with, of course.”

“Well, uh…yeah,” Rat said, sounding almost sheepish. There was another deep sigh in response, though Jesse wasn’t sure whether or not it was from Hanzo or the one they were calling Hog. Or both.

“I do not have time for this,” Hanzo finally said. “Go find someone else to annoy.”

“But you ‘aven’t even heard the deal yet!” Rat interjected. Jesse made a move to step away from the door when he felt the knob turn. But the door didn’t open. Instead, something loud and heavy slammed against it on the other side. From its placement, Jesse could only picture the big, meaty hand that had been pressed against the door, halting Hanzo’s retreat. Now it was Jesse’s turn to reach for the doorknob with a glower on his face, ready to intercede, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Genji just shook his head slowly. And Jesse knew why.

Stepping out there would just make things worse. Hanzo was a knight. He could handle himself. He’d have to wait.

“Choice number one,” Rat started to say, chuckling. “Give ‘im over, all nice-like, and we _don’t_ blow up your house. _Or..._ Choice number two, you don’t and we _do._ Much more fun, if you ask me, but my pal Hoggie here actually thinks that brother o’yours is kinda fun and don’t wanna lose a drinkin’ buddy.”

 _“It was_ one _time…_ ” Genji groaned beside McCree, running his hand over his face. Despite the situation, Jesse had to force back a chuckle.

“I believe you are threatening a member of the royal court,” Hanzo said stiffly. “Which, if I remember correctly, is punishable by imprisonment. Then again, since you have already made a threat against the crown, I  _believe_ it is considered an act of treason. _D_ _eath_ by _hanging_ is the penalty they are inflicting for something of that nature, last time I checked.”

The hand against the door slid away.

“H- _hey_ …I like my neck the way it is!” Rat whimpered. “We was…just kiddin’! Weren’t we, Hog?”

“Sure,” grunted the other in response. He didn’t seem all that opinionated either way. Rat had to be the _strategist_ of the two, which was slightly scary.

“Go. _Away,”_ Hanzo growled through gritted teeth. The doorknob began to turn and Jesse took a few steps back.

“Oi, we ain’t the only ones who know you’ve got a royal ass sittin’ in there somewhere! Words spreadin’ faster than fire on grease!”

“I will keep that in mind,” Hanzo muttered as he stepped back inside. Jesse attempted a glance at the two from the meager crack in the door, but was soon distracted by a rough hand dragging him down by the collar as soon as the heavy wooden entryway was barred again.

Hanzo was _fuming._ And Jesse, being a dumb, lovestruck fool, couldn’t help but notice how _pretty_ the angry flush on his face was as he stared into it.

“All good out there, darlin’?” he asked nervously. Genji was awestruck behind him, his mouth hanging open.

“Hanzo, what are you _doing?_ Brother, that’s the-“

“The _prince,”_ he interrupted, growling. “The pigheaded, clumsy, _fool_ of a prince.”

“Hey, easy now,” Jesse muttered, scrunching his nose. “I’m right _here.”_

“Tell me, did you _intend_ to alert the entire commonwealth that you were ‘out on the town’? Hand out fliers? Ask a herald to shout it from the rooftops?”

“Hey, I ain’t got a _clue_ how that happened,” Jesse defended, gently prying Hanzo’s hand away from his shirt and then straightening it. “No one saw me leave, I kept to myself…I even wore a damn disguise.”

“You really call _that_ a disguise?” Genji asked with an incredulous snort. “Your Highness- _er_ – _Jesse_ \- forgive me, but a pair of gloves and a hat aren’t much of a disguise.”

“I got this coat out of storage, too!” Jesse exclaimed, frowning. “It’s from three seasons ago.”

“Oh…you really thought people couldn’t recognize you?” Genji asked, pity in his tone.

“They _don’t_ ,” Jesse said adamantly. “I leave the castle all the time an’ I _never_ get caught. I mean…until now.”

Hanzo was pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, only mildly containing his irritation.

“And it never occurred to you that perhaps people were going _along_ with your charade in order to placate you? Perhaps to get close and earn some coin?”

“I… _no_ …I never really…” Jesse said, lacking anything better to say. “An’ even if that were _true_ , then how come none of _them_ tried that ransom shit?”

“You were more than likely out and back by morning, correct?” Genji asked. Jesse nodded the affirmative, and the courier gestured with a wave of his hand. “Those that you didn’t _pay_ for time with were probably too drunk to remember your presence. And those that you _did_ pay probably wanted to keep you as a repeat customer rather than risk a death sentence. It’s just smarter in the long run. Rat and Hog are anything but.”

“Luckily, they are too concerned with their own necks to actually pursue anything,” Hanzo said, beginning to pace. “For now, at least. That does not mean, however, that the others he spoke of are less dangerous. Escorting Jesse to the castle will be much more difficult than I anticipated.”

“I could go ahead,” Genji offered. “Ask the guard to send an envoy.”

“Assuming they believe you at all,” Hanzo groused. “They might not have noticed that Jesse is gone at all yet. And even if they have, then we will have to entertain questions as to why he is here in the first place. With a black eye forming, no less.”

“They ain’t gonna think you’re at fault when you’re runnin’ off to get ‘em in the first place. Someone aimin’ to kidnap me ain’t gonna waltz up to the guards and announce that they got me,” Jesse reasoned. “Might actually be a decent plan.”

“As the one who has put all of us in this predicament in the first place, _you_ do not get to offer suggestions,” Hanzo growled in Jesse’s direction. Genji paled considerably and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. Jesse just pursed his lips together and folded his arms. Given the circumstances, he supposed he deserved that.

“All right,” Hanzo said, pacing again. “Genji, we shall wait here while you summon the guards. If morons like Rat and Hog are brash enough to come knocking on the front door, we can expect other visitors to be cleverer.”

“You think people would really be that stupid?” Jesse asked with a light laugh, brushing aside the curtains to peek out the window. Hanzo promptly stomped over and slid them shut again, throwing Jesse a look that would put even his mother’s scolding to shame. Undeterred, Jesse continued.

“I mean, they’d be kickin’ down the door of a _knight_ in order to potentially _harm_ the damn _prince._ If the first part ain’t a surefire death sentence, the second part sure as hell is. Plus, there ain’t really anywhere around that they could hide without bein’ caught eventually.”

“This is a port kingdom, Your- _Jesse_ ,” Genji said as he slid on his boots. That habit was a hard one to break, apparently. “Pirates catch rides on cargo vessels as crew and come through here, along with a ton of other… _unsavory_ characters. It isn’t keeping you in the hamlet that’s the problem, it’s if they manage to get you out to a _ship._ From there they could easily send a message via a third-party courier before they pulled away and disappear before the king’s navy managed to put up their sails.”

“But the navy would still pursue them,” Jesse said. “How long can a ship last at sea like that with limited resources?”

Genji paused while standing to throw Jesse a look and then snickered a little, dusting off his pants.

“You really _don’t_ get out much, do you?”

Jesse raised an eyebrow, and for a moment he saw Genji stiffen, silently chiding himself for forgetting his place, but he decided to let him off the hook.

“Nope,” he said with a light smile. “All I know is what they tell me at the castle. An’ what I can manage to eavesdrop. An’ I got loud feet, so it ain’t much.”

“Well, not to brag, but I’ve drunk my fair share of pirates under the table,” Genji said with a puff of his chest. Hanzo just rolled his eyes melodramatically and shook his head in embarrassment. Genji ignored him, as usual.

“They have a tendency to brag about their exploits. And from what I’ve gleaned in between pure boasting and drunken nonsense, the ships that they use are called sloops. And they can outrun one of those big bulky navy ships by a good few knots at least. So they wouldn’t need to _outlast_ the Royal Navy, they’d just have to _outrun_ it. And even if our boys caught up, they wouldn’t be able to fire upon the ship without running the risk of you being harmed. They’d have their hands tied.”

“Shit,” Jesse cursed under his breath. He was sure that Gabe had given him some sort of lesson on seafaring vessels at some point. If he remembered correctly, that was the day he’d discovered that he could balance himself on only the back legs of his chair and had received a smack to the head with a ruler. _Fuck._

“I’ll be off, then,” Genji said, briskly moving to the door. “I’ll keep an eye out and be as fast as possible.”

“Be careful,” Hanzo said, patting his shoulder. Genji only grinned and offered him a two-fingered salute.

“You know me. They won’t see me until I want them to.”

“Let us hope so.”

And with a polite bow to Jesse, Genji was out the door and on his way. Hanzo wasted no time in locking the heavy door behind him and sighing. Even facing away from him, Jesse could sense the immense tension in him.

Jesse was, once again, faced with a very unfamiliar emotion – guilt. Up until this point, any indiscretion was seen as an easily forgivable quirk. He could spill wine on the floor onto the brand-new carpet and the servants would laugh and gladly kneel to scrub at it for hours on end. Jesse had nearly forgotten what real guilt _felt_ like – the kind that wrenched up your insides and made you clamber desperately for a way to remedy the situation.

“And now we must wait,” Hanzo huffed, leaning against the side-table near the window with his nails digging into the wood. He hadn’t had taken proper time to tie up his hair, so thick locks of it had escaped their ties. In thinly-veiled frustration, Hanzo puffed out a quick stream of air to blow one out of his eyes. He was still lovely.

“I’m sorry,” Jesse finally said, trying to ignore the way Hanzo did a double-take. He flicked his eyes to the floor and watched as he nervously scuffed the toes of his boot under the rug. He could feel Hanzo scrutinizing him, searching for any sign of insincerity. Jesse, much to his credit, felt _quite_ sincere in his apology at the moment.

“…you did not know that something like this would happen,” Hanzo admitted, although begrudgingly. “Even the knights that live at the barracks are given a blind eye to what happens amongst the people. They act on orders and secondhand information. You are only provided with the latter.”

“Still,” Jesse murmured, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “I appreciate you goin’ through all… _this._ ”

“It is my job, Your Highness,” Hanzo said tersely. When Jesse flinched, he flicked his eyes away again and plastered them to the window. Jesse knew it was a ruse – Hanzo was making it _look_ as though he was focused on keeping watch, but he was just as distracted by who was in the room with him as the prince was.

A moment of awkward silence passed. Hanzo was impossibly still, save for his breathing and his fingertips tapping. To say that it made Jesse uncomfortable was an understatement. It only compounded upon the elephant in the room – what had happened only an hour or so earlier in Hanzo’s bedroom.

But Jesse was never one to beat around the bush.

“We really gonna act like this until I get back?” he asked, leaning his back to the door.

“I cannot say that I know what you mean,” Hanzo said, feigning ignorance.

“Come on, Hanzo,” Jesse groaned exasperatedly. “Can’t we just talk about this?”

“There is nothing to talk about,” Hanzo responded. “I have made my decision.”

“Well it’s a _stupid_ decision,” Jesse barked, throwing up his hands. Hanzo snapped his head in Jesse’s direction and narrowed his eyes. The look on his face instantly summoned the urge to back up within him, but Jesse stood his ground and shoved his hands into his coat.

“Well I am sorry you feel that way, _Prince_ Jesse,” he hissed, standing up straight. “But unlike _some_ people, I understand that there are decisions that _must_ be made, no matter how reluctant we are to make them.”

“ _Hah!_ ” Jesse laughed, pointing. “So you admit it! You _don’t_ wanna stop seein’ me after all!”

“You are twisting my words!” Hanzo exclaimed, taking a step forward. “I only _meant_ that sacrifices must be made! Not that _you_ would know anything about those!”

“I make _plenty_ of sacrifices!” Jesse shot back, taking a step forward himself. “I…well, I…”

Jesse floundered. His mind ran a mile a minute, pulling at straws for something. _Anything._ He’d made sacrifices! He’d made _plenty_ of sacrifices! Right? _Right?_

And then… a funny thing happened.

Nothing came up.

Sure, he would _eventually_ need to make sacrifices. Being the heir apparent to the throne usually meant you would _eventually_ have to do things you didn’t want to do. Like get married. And have kids. And pass decisions on things that you really didn’t care about. His life would soon be full of those little obligations – it was a fact that had been drilled through his thick skull since the day he was born.

But they hadn’t come _yet._

Jesse hadn’t had to give up a goddamn thing up until that point. Even minor things, like giving up the last slice of cake was foreign to him. If, for some insane reason, they ran out before Jesse was satisfied, their chef would simply _make more._ It was like that for everything. Jesse simply had to look put-out and things would be made easier for him automatically. Gabe was the only one to have ever given him a no, aside from his father, and even then, Jesse did exactly what he wanted to _anyway._

Slowly, his eyes met with Hanzo’s. A man who, he could only assume, was close to the same age as himself. A man who trained and fought every day to attain a goal instead of having it handed to him from birth. A man who appeared to have lost both parents, had his own home and brother to look after, and who still managed to give a shit about the people who lived around him. About honor. About what was _necessary._ Jesse absently ran his thumb over the pads of his fingers and thought back to the thick callouses Hanzo sported on his. Jesse’s, however, were soft and unmarred, free from the damage physical labor could bring about. He’d always considered it a good thing before…but now…

The apparent epiphany had to have made its way to Jesse’s face, because Hanzo’s demeanor immediately began to soften. His hands, which had previously been balled into fists, relaxed and fell limply to his sides.

Jesse, sensing that he was being stared at, could only chuckle and rub the back of his head.

“Guess you got me there,” he admitted, his smile falling away almost as quickly as it had arisen.

There was quiet between them again, though this time the tone was considerably different. Hanzo was still looking at him although Jesse had directed his attention to the window, unsure of where to go next. He had been _intending_ to convince Hanzo that he was wrong. That his decision had been brash and that being with Jesse could be _worth_ it.

But…would it?

Jesse was the prince. But that was _all_ he was. He brought little else to the table, if he was being completely honest with himself. Sure, being on the arm of the prince brought riches and privilege along with it, but it add anything to Jesse as a person. What did he have without it? Charm? Yes, but a lot of people had that. Good looks? Sure, but they were fleeting. Power? Useful for a lot of things, but incredibly _useless_ for situations like this.

Hanzo, on the other hand, was a warrior. A knight. Educated and hardworking. Diligent, ambitious and persistent – all the things in a man that Jesse was not, besides the educated part.

Jesse could handle a sword well enough and was naturally gifted at shooting a crossbow, but had never put in an ounce of the work that Hanzo had.

And Jesse was…what? Asking him to drop all of that? For someone who wouldn’t bring nearly as much to the table?

“That’s…really dumb,” Jesse mumbled, his gaze thoughtful and far off.

“…what is?” Hanzo asked softly, bringing Jesse back to reality. The prince just gave that awkward laugh one more time and shrugged.

“Nothin.’ Just thinkin.’”

“…it is not _necessarily_ your fault, you know,” Hanzo said. Jesse slowly looked at him and raised an eyebrow curiously.

“What?”

“You. Not having to make sacrifices,” Hanzo clarified. “You are the prince. You were given a life that gave you no reason for it. If only everyone could be so lucky. You should be glad.”

“I was up until a minute ago,” Jesse half-joked.

“I did not mean to lash out at you. I am…we are…”

“You don’t have to bring it up if you don’t want to,” Jesse said, holding up a hand. Hanzo’s mouth closed slowly, but he nodded anyway. Jesse was content to go back to silence while they waited, but Hanzo seemed to have other plans.

“May I…ask you a question?” he said, looking almost sheepish for once. “One that has been on my mind?”

That got Jesse’s attention.

“Of course, sugar.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps you want me because you were forbidden to?”

Jesse blinked a few times in rapid succession. It took a moment for the words to sink in, as though Jesse were processing a foreign language and had to slowly translate. His pause made Hanzo shift uncomfortably, adjusting the loose hairs around his face into something neater in an effort to find something to do with his hands.

In truth, the idea had never crossed his mind. He wanted Hanzo because he was _Hanzo_ , not because he was some piece of forbidden fruit.

Well, no, that hadn’t been _entirely_ true, if he was trying to be honest with himself. Not in the beginning, anyway. Doing whatever his father had told him _not_ to do was almost a national pastime to Jesse, so really the thrill of getting away with it had drawn him to Hanzo more than anything else. And the look on that face of his while he waited for a response just had that wave of guilt threatening to crush Jesse beneath it again. He was so _nervous._

“It…might have had something to do with it. At the start,” Jesse admitted, looking like a kicked dog. Hanzo did his best to hide his disappointment, but Jesse could see it. The subtle way his shoulders fell, the way he took a deep breath and slowly nodded. The prince had begun to pick up on little things like that. How Hanzo’s hands lingered just a little bit longer when they brushed against the hilt of his sword for comfort. The way he chewed on his lower lip when he was trying to work something out in his mind. The wrinkle of his nose and the sparkle of his eyes when he was excited about something. Slowly but surely, it was all being laid bare for Jesse to see. He’d never _ever_ longed to see those little details as much as he did with Hanzo.

“You’re stunning, Han,” Jesse found himself saying, surprising Hanzo enough to get a flush on his cheeks. Jesse just huffed a laugh and let his head cock to the side as he took him in from his spot by the door.

“I didn’t really see that at first. I noticed right away that you were good-looking an’ strong…an’ hell, you’ve got a really nice ass-“

Hanzo sputtered, earning a wink from Jesse, but the prince continued.

“- but now it’s… _more_. I can’t even describe it without soundin’ like some failed excuse for a bard.”

“…try,” Hanzo coaxed softly. Jesse met his eyes and Hanzo managed the slightest of smiles. “…please? I would…like to hear, regardless.”

How could he possibly resist that?

“I just…I miss seein’ you when you ain’t around. I wait by the trainin’ grounds all day without realizin’ it, just hopin’ to see you, even in passing. I like the way your arm bunches up when you pull your bow taught, and that proud look you get when you nail a target, even when you don’t think anyone’s watchin’. Or how when you _don’t_ get one, you’ll do it over an’ over again until you do.”

He took a few steps away from the door and was suddenly in Hanzo’s space. The knight, who had wanted to look anywhere _but_ at Jesse only moments before, was utterly captivated now. He was still flushed in the face, but this time he didn’t attempt to hide it. Jesse sighed dreamily, running his thumb over one of those high cheekbones.

“You’re patient. And _smart._ And so goddamn sexy it makes my head spin. Fuck, Han, I’m not sure if you have any idea what kind of things you do to me.”

“I think…I may have _some_ idea…” Hanzo murmured. His eyes were on Jesse’s lips as he spoke now. That electric pull was back between them, tugging them together until they were both breathing each other’s air and sharing each other’s heat.

“…thought you said this was awful,” Jesse whispered, a hair’s breadth away, his hand cupping Hanzo’s jaw.

“It is…” Hanzo sighed back, reaching up to pull Jesse closer. “You are…the most _infuriating_ …the most selfish…and the most dangerously _irresistible_ man I have ever met.”

 One hand carefully slid up his front to grip at the back of Jesse’s neck, applying the lightest of pressure. All Jesse had to do was tilt his head, lean in, and he would be right back where he belonged with Hanzo’s lips pressed to his.

And old Jesse wouldn’t have hesitated in the slightest.

But this wasn’t old Jesse. And Hanzo had said no to this. To all of this.

“Hanzo…” he murmured, trying to pull himself out from under the spell they’d weaved for themselves. The knight’s eyes had glazed over, but Jesse managed to pull them away from his mouth and up to meet his.

“You know how I feel,” he started, sighing in disappointment. “But you…I don’t want you to… _regret_. That’s the last thing I’d ever want. So if you say you…if you don’t want…”

“Jesse…” Hanzo began pressing a thumb to his lips. “I do not-“

A loud crash from the second floor dumped a big bucket of ice water on the pair.

Jesse quickly released Hanzo so that the knight could push the prince behind him, eyes locked up the flight of stairs. It had clearly been glass shattering – a window breaking. The crunching of it being shattered under foot caused Hanzo to push Jesse down a small hallway and to the kitchen. Jesse didn’t argue.

“There is a back door,” Hanzo instructed with a hushed whisper. “We must go.”

“But this is your _home_ ,” Jesse said, shaking his head. “There’s gotta be somethin’-“

“My duty is to protect _you_ ,” Hanzo cut him off, giving him another shove. “Not my possessions. Now go. If they manage to surround us, things will become infinitely more difficult for the both of us.”

Jesse nodded finally and busted through the door. Hanzo kept close proximity, refusing to let him out of his sight. The back door thankfully led to an easily forgotten alley laden with refuse and murky puddles. Hanzo yanked Jesse down the passage, carefully mucking through the water heel-to-toe to prevent telltale splashes.

They could soon hear men hollering behind them – gruff, coarse voices signaling their escape. Hanzo did not let him stop, tugging him down alleys and past closed wooden gates, only pausing to decide on a new direction. He seemed to know the hamlet like the back of his hand, and before long they were both pressing their backs against a sturdy stone structure on the curve of the hillside, catching their breath.

Hanzo was the first to catch sight of the flames.

The smoke had begun to rise from the direction they had run from, billowing over the rooftops and high into the air. From their position, Jesse could see men running towards the source carrying buckets, and heard a loud bell being rung. Jesse looked back and forth from the scene to Hanzo and then back again, feeling utterly helpless. This was all happening because of him. Hanzo's life, all of his memories, ruined because of _him._

“It is…easier to destroy the evidence entirely,” Hanzo said in a monotone voice, watching the house that his father had built burn to a cinder in the distance before him. “Those who do not wish to be caught will leave nothing behind.”

“Hanzo…I… _shit_ …this is-“

“Come,” Hanzo said brusquely, forcing his eyes away. His voice was too-level, unnaturally steady. “We must keep moving. The guard is likely on its way, but the men who broke in are likely still searching. They will be looking along route to the castle, so we must avoid them in the meantime until we can make contact with Genji.”

“Where are we gonna go?” Jesse asked, taking one last look before turning suit with him.

“Somewhere I would much rather not,” Hanzo said. “But we need a place to hide. And who knows about hiding better than a rat?”

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have a twitter where I post updates and incessantly yammer on about nothing: @heysugarmaddy  
> and a tumblr where i reblog mchanzo content and occasionally post updates: sugarmaddy.tumblr.com  
> and a ko-fi in case you feel like donating to this poor college student: ko-fi.com/sugarmaddy
> 
> thanks for reading!


	8. We Are Not Our Fathers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as usual, i love getting comments and kudos. if you like it, let me know! 
> 
> enjoy !!

The path through back alleys behind Hanzo was riddled with dank, musty smells and murky puddles. Tattered clothing hung across and above the cobblestone on lines to dry, some of it low enough to cause Jesse to have to lift his arm to move it out of his face. Needless to say, it was a far cry from the opulent surroundings of the palace that he was used to. Jesse couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose when the scent of burnt chicken and cheap wine drifted from a shitty-looking pub around the corner. Hanzo didn’t seem bothered in the slightest, but then again Hanzo would probably be able to keep a straight face no matter the circumstance.

Dim candlelight flickered behind grimy windows with glass panes so small that Jesse wondered why they even bothered. Glass was a luxury, he had to remind himself, and one that he often took for granted. While it was strewn about the halls of the castle carelessly as an ornamental frivolity, here it was oftentimes the only separation the poorer folk had between them and the elements. As if he needed a reason to hate his mother’s chandeliers even more.

The prince was barely able to sidestep out of the way in time to avoid a bucket of slop being thrown from an upper window down onto the street. Apple cores, soapy water, and what looked like chicken bones. Jesse had to stop and pull a face, both at the pile of garbage and then up at the window where it had come. Hanzo didn’t even blink.

“Keep up,” he muttered quickly, drawing Jesse’s attention back to the task at hand.

“Shit, sorry, Han,” Jesse said, scratching his scalp beneath his hat. Just being here made him imagine fleas invading his hair. “I just can’t get over how _nasty_ it is down here. We gonna hit a _nicer_ part of town anytime soon?”

“You have seen it already,” Hanzo said bluntly. With a sigh, he gestured around them and slid around another corner and down a set of shoddy stairs. “Sorry to disappoint you, but this is the norm for the majority of the area surrounding the castle.”

Laughter bubbled up from Jesse’s chest before he could stop himself. Hanzo stopped and eyed him, judging the reaction for any sign of cruelty. There wasn’t any – only genuine disbelief. Jesse honestly thought Hanzo was joking. But then, like a candle being lit, the realization of who he was speaking to dawned on him. Hanzo didn’t _joke._

“You…you can’t be serious,” Jesse said incredulously, his smile slowly fading in response to Hanzo’s serious demeanor. “This…this is a _shithole.”_

“With things as they are the people must make do,” Hanzo said defensively. “Most are barely lucky enough to keep their children fed.”

“What’s that s’posed to mean?” Jesse asked, still confused as ever. “’With things as they are’? Did something happen? Does my father know about it? Ain’t no _way_ he’d-“

“I told you,” Hanzo said firmly, stopping just before a rat could scurry over the toe of his boot. “The _military_ is your father’s primary concern as of late. _Not_ the condition of his surrounding lands. This state of affairs did not simply happen overnight.”

Jesse opened and shut his mouth, stunned to silence by the look on Hanzo’s face – that sad, almost resigned countenance that spoke of hard-hitting truths and negative experiences. But no, this couldn’t be. Hanzo was exaggerating. He _had_ to be. Overcome by the held-in grief of losing his home – that had to be it. This filth was an _anomaly_. An isolated bit of tragedy. One that could be fixed with a bit of simple communication.

“He just…he just needs to come down here,” he reasoned aloud, giving the dark alley another cursory glance. “If he just _saw_ how things were-“

“When was the last time your father set foot outside of the palace for anything other than a boar hunt or a ball?” Hanzo asked blandly over his shoulder, pushing aside a long plank of wood so that he and the prince could slip past it..

“Well, I dunno,” Jesse admitted, scratching the back of his head. He had to duck his head to fit through the hole in the fence, but managed. “I mean, maybe, if I talked to him-“

“Jesse,” Hanzo asked with a deep sigh. “Before this, when was the last time _you_ had been out of the castle?”

“I...it’d been a few months,” Jesse said, uncertainty coloring his tone.

“And during those little excursions, if someone had suggested that you visit one of these places for a purpose _other_ than drink and pleasure…would you have taken them up on that offer?”

“Maybe!” Jesse exclaimed, the need to provide some opposition rising like bile in his throat. But even without turning around, Jesse knew that Hanzo saw through it. Hell, Jesse was the one saying it and even _he_ didn’t buy it. Hanzo didn’t respond, which told Jesse that he was waiting for him to come to the same conclusion. The prince just looked off the side as he continued to follow and scowled.

“…probably not,” he finally admitted. “In fact, I probably woulda laughed in their face.”

“At least you can admit it,” Hanzo conceded. He paused, tilted his head, and listened for a moment with his hand raised, seeking out anything suspicious. When he sensed nothing, he dropped his hand and kept walking. “Imagine if you were to approach your father with the same scenario.”

That…would not go well. Jesse could almost see the confused look in his father’s eyes, followed by a placating pat on the shoulder. _‘Why are you entertainin’ such nonsense ideas, boy?’_ he’d ask. _‘Kings belong in castles, not meanderin’ down below. That’s just how it’s supposed to be.’_

Hanzo was merciful and allowed the conversation to lapse. It was clear that both of them had heavy hearts and cluttered minds, although each for different reasons.

Jesse was, for once, grateful for the opportunity to be silent. This little pleasure trip he’d ventured out on was turning out to be much more than he’d bargained for. He’d started out on this journey with his only goal being _Hanzo._ It had all been so simple in his head. Find Genji, schmooze him for a little information, then go all cylinders on the knight afterwards when luck was on his side. Hanzo would swoon, they’d both fall into bed, and Jesse could curl up with the knowledge that he’d won his prize in the end.

Instead, he’d been punched in the face, rejected in a most _spectacular_ fashion, nearly killed, and now was on the run in one of the most disgusting slums he could ever even hope to witness. Sure, he _had_ shared Hanzo’s bed along the way, and he _had_ managed to get him to admit that his feelings were mutual, but did that really outweigh all of the bad things?

 And he hadn’t even _dared_ to bring up the fact that everything Hanzo and Genji had once owned was now smoldering in a pile on the other side of the city. Because of him. _Ugh._ This was a disaster. An utter disaster. And the worst part of it all was Jesse _still_ couldn’t help but let his eyes linger on Hanzo’s backside, or imagine how good it might feel to have his thighs around his head. He was an awful, awful person.

“This is it,” Hanzo finally said, snapping Jesse out of his self-loathing. The knight looked speculative, gently nudging a pile of discarded wagon wheels and a few broken goblets with the tip of his boot. Piles of empty ale bottles sat, fly-infested to his right, while leather scraps from saddles and old boots hung like tanning hides to the left.

“How the hell can you _tell_?” Jesse asked. The scenery looked just about the same as what he’d been surrounded by for the past half hour. Smelled a bit worse, though.

“They are what they like to call ‘junkers’,” Hanzo explained, eyeing several hung-up horseshoes with distaste. “Scavengers, mostly. They gather iron from around the city for various uses, then steal to make up the difference. Rat enjoys hoarding baubles that he deems ‘useful’ and repurposes them into various crafts. Explosives, mostly.”

“I thought we were tryin’ to _avoid_ criminals,” Jesse groused.

“We are,” Hanzo said, pressing his back to the wooden gate that made up the makeshift entrance to the little hideaway. “These, however, are not proper criminals. They are idiots. _Greedy_ idiots. And those I can handle.”

“Why do I get the feeling that was a joke at my expense?” Jesse laughed softly, trying his damndest to somehow lighten the tense feeling in his chest. Was this how common people felt most of the time? Dirty and tense and tired? He absently pressed his hand to his chest and took a deep breath to ground himself. Fuck this – he wanted his soft down comforter and a goblet of wine. A _big_ goblet. And -

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

“I will not let any harm come to you,” Hanzo said assuredly, confidence radiating from his eyes. Even with the thin layer of sweat on his brow and the smudge of dirt on his chin and cheek, Hanzo was still the most beautiful thing Jesse had ever seen. Even more so like this, with his hair coming loose from its tie and the edges of his shirt beginning to fray. Those deep brown pupils fixed on him pulled him out of the hole of fear and anxiety that threatened to swallow him, dusted him off, and filled him with a sense of safety like he’d never felt before. Jesse _melted_ for those eyes.

“You’re _real_ pretty when you go all soft on me,” he said, his heart glowing. The prince couldn’t resist tossing in a wink and a nudge to the knight’s side. Hanzo simply rolled his eyes and let his hand drop to the hilt of his sword, but Jesse just couldn’t ignore the light blush that colored his cheeks. He was even cuter when he was trying to play it serious. Okay, _focus_ , Jesse.

“Stay close,” Hanzo ordered, earning a quick nod from the prince. But Hanzo’s eyes lingered a bit longer than they should have, and he began to press his lips together during his up-and-down scrutiny of his companion. At the prince’s raised eyebrow, he bent over to slide his hand into his boot. A moment later, the object he retrieved was pressed into Jesse’s hand.

It was a dagger, no longer than Jesse’s palm. Sharp as hell but still puny.

“The hell am I supposed to do with this?” Jesse hissed, eyeing the small weapon as if Hanzo had just offered him a wheel of cheese to protect himself with. “Pick their teeth? Butter their bread?”

“Hopefully you will not need to use it at all,” Hanzo growled back. “Now please, for the love of all that is good and right, let _me_ do the talking.”

“Thought you said you could handle it, _Beowulf_ ,” Jesse said with a smirk. Hanzo narrowed his eyes and put forth a valiant effort to ignore him. The prince considered that a win in his book but didn’t press his luck. After all, this was the man that was trying to protect his life. Poking fun at him probably wasn’t in Jesse’s best interest.

Ever the picture of focus and courage, Hanzo moved through the entrance to Rat and Hog’s hideout with his weapon drawn, eyes swiveling from side to side. It was much larger than Jesse had anticipated, separated from above by wine-colored cloth canopies, held aloft by broomsticks, old boat oars, and what appeared to be a stone statue of his father, missing its head.

The rays from the sun falling down through the makeshift tent cast everything in a burgundy hue, almost negating the fact that, from floor to ceiling, there was nothing but _junk_.

Empty oil lanterns, scabbards from daggers and the heads of arrows, split barrels and candlesticks. Piles upon piles of rusted iron nails from ships, broken mirrors and tangled fishing lines. Jesse couldn’t help but get distracted by the sheer immensity of it all, his gaze roving listlessly over one thing to another. It must have taken forever to amass such a hoard. Where did they even _sleep?_

He nearly ran into Hanzo’s back when the knight stopped and held up his hand. Amid the smell of soggy burlap and musty wood, Jesse began to become distinctly aware of the smell of fire. Cautiously, the pair continued further into the den. Slowly but surely, a high-pitched and maniacal rambling could be heard over the crackling of the flame, followed by the occasional grunt. Well, at least they knew where they were now. All Jesse and Hanzo had to do now was hope they liked company. Judging by Hanzo’s tense shoulders, Jesse could assume this wouldn’t be easy.

“Stay here,” Hanzo mouthed quietly.

“No fuckin’ way!” Jesse mouthed back, shaking his head. Hanzo slowly narrowed his eyes. There would be no arguing about this. The prince could only curse and throw up his hands while Hanzo approached the unaware pair on his own. Unfortunately, this meant ducking around a corner and out of Jesse’s sight. But leave it to Hanzo to play the hero. Wait…did that make Jesse the damsel in distress?

There was a loud pop and a crack, followed by a burst of heat and light so bright that Jesse had to take a step back even from around the corner. But he didn’t hesitate after it dissipated, leaping out from behind cover with his dagger in hand to come to Hanzo’s rescue.

He found his knight pinned by one _gargantuan_ hand gripping the front of his shirt, blinking the stars out of his eyes while his sword sat uselessly by his feet. But otherwise unharmed. For now.

Acting on adrenaline alone, Jesse poised the dagger before him and fixed his attention on the owner of that beefy hand. It was more beast than man to Jesse’s eyes – a real mountain of fat and muscle, his chest clad in stretched leather and feet in thick boots with pointed toes. A bandana was wrapped around his face, obscuring the lower half, but even from where he was standing Jesse could make out the silvery scars that ran upwards from where his mouth would be. The most _impressive_ thing about him (and _man_ was it impressive) was his gut, which almost had Hanzo pinned of its own accord. For a man who supposedly lived off of scraps, he appeared to be doing quite well on the food front. He rivaled even some of the fatter courtesans that frequented his parents’ dinner parties. This had to be Hog. There was no mistaking it.

“Put him down,” Jesse ordered through grit teeth. “Now.”

Hanzo was instead the one to open his mouth to respond, but was instead interrupted when Jesse’s gaze was blocked entirely by a singed head of blond hair and a pair of wide, beady eyes.

“Oi, who let _you_ in?” this one asked, much too far into Jesse’s personal space for him to be comfortable with. This close, Jesse was overcome by the smell of burnt hair and gunpowder. It was almost nauseating. This had to be Rat.

Unlike his companion, Rat was thin. _Very_ thin. His face was nothing but hard edges and sharp angles, from his pointed nose to his jagged chin. He was missing a few teeth _and_ a few appendages, Jesse noted, which he’d attempted to remedy by cobbling together bits and pieces into a working arm and leg. Whereas Jesse’s arm had been made using superior craftsmanship, Rat’s looked ready to fall apart any minute. It was a wonder he’d been able to sneak up on him at all.

“He’s the prince,” came the deep reply from Rat’s companion as he held Hanzo aloft.

“No ‘e ain’t,” Rat replied, ignoring the dagger in his face entirely to shamble around Jesse and give him the once over. “Ain’t fancy enough. This bloke don’t even have any shiny bits.”

“He is,” Hog pressed, turning his head just slightly.

“Hey, mate,” Rat suddenly asked, back in Jesse’s face with one eye wide and staring. “…if you’re the prince, why ain’t I findin’ any gold? Dubloons? Diamonds?”

“Well I don’t carry the damn vault with me wherever I go,” Jesse blurted before he could stop himself. Closing his eyes and sighing at his own stupidity, he tightened his grip on the dagger and turned his eyes back on Hanzo. “Just…shut up. Let him go.”

“ _Ooh_ , big scary prince,” Rat laughed loudly, nearly piercing Jesse’s eardrums from the close proximity. “Whatcha gonna do? It’s two against one, mate. Well, _three_ against one, technically, since Hoggie here is about as big as a barn. Though I guess he _is_ a bit distracted keepin’ ol’ Hanzo there sit an’ shiver. So maybe it’s really two and a half against one? But then how do you have half a person?”

There was a heavy sigh behind Rat and Hog unceremoniously released his grip and dropped Hanzo to his feet.

“Hey! Bloody idiot, whatcha let him go for?” Rat yelled, hopping back away from Jesse the moment his supposed ‘advantage’ was spoiled.

“You were taking too long,” Hog replied, lumbering away to roll himself down in a seat by the fire. Rat sputtered and made a few indignant noises while Jesse shifted around him and moved to help Hanzo get

“There was a tripwire,” Hanzo muttered, pressing his fingers to his temple. “I was foolish and did not see it until it was too late.”

“Booby trap for a booby, right mate?” Rat laughed, slapping Hog on the arm. The larger man shoved him away and rolled his eyes. “That’s whatcha get for tryin’ to sneak in t’steal our goodies.”

“Goodies?” Jesse scoffed loudly, one hand gripping Hanzo’s arm while the other wrapped around his back to balance him. “Trust me, fellas, we ain’t here to steal _anythin’_ ya’ll got. I can get my own rusty doorknobs an’ table scraps, _thanks._ ”

Both Rat and Hog gasped in unison.

“I think he’s callin’ our goodies _trash_ , Hoggie!” Rat exclaimed, appalled. “Mate, I’ll have you know it took me an Hog _ages_ to collect such a treasure trove of resources.”

“Yeah, I don’t doubt it,” Jesse huffed under his breath, rolling his eyes while Rat continued to flail indignantly. The prince turned much of his attention away in favor of Hanzo, who was rubbing his eyes and wriggling his finger in his ear. “You okay, darlin’?” he asked, cupping Hanzo’s cheek to look him over with all the concern of a protective parent. Hanzo pushed his hand away with a petulant look.

“I am _fine_ , Jesse,” he said, embarrassment coloring his cheeks.

“Oi. _Ladies_. If we’re all through with the pleasantries, mind tellin’ us what the _fuck_ you’re doin’ in our abode?” Rat interrupted, pointing back and forth between the two of them with one long, bony finger. “Before I ask ol’ Hog to beat it out of you, that is.”

“We need assistance,” Hanzo said, forcing a bit more confidence into his voice now that the ringing had dulled in his ears.

“Well ain’t that rich,” Rat laughed shrilly, slapping Hog on the arm. “Sir Hanzo askin’ _us_ for help!”

“It is not on behalf of myself, _obviously_ ,” Hanzo growled. “Your _prince_ is-“

“Ain’t _my_ prince,” Rat interrupted again, pressing his hand to his chest. “I didn’t vote for him.”

“You do not _vote_ for princes,” Hanzo said with a put-upon sigh and a pinch to the bridge of his nose. “He is your prince whether you like it or not. And as such, it is your _duty_ to-“

“Duty?” Rat barked, attempting to hold back a laugh before it erupted from his puffed cheeks anyway. “Mate, we’re junkers. Only duty me an’ Hog care about is the one we make into a bucket after a good, hot meal. Get it? Duty?”

“Oh for the love of-“ Hanzo hissed, his words drowned out by the squeal of laughter Rat let out at his own joke. Hog seemed less than enthused, but his shoulders shook slightly anyway. Hanzo had been right. These two _were_ idiots.

“Look, we ain’t here to change your damn outlook on life _or_ to steal your shit,” Jesse surged forward. “We just need a place to lay low until whoever is after me either backs off or gets caught. That’s all.”

“Sounds like an _awful_ lot of work,” Rat said, examining his nails. “I ain’t too good at keeping secrets, and Hoggie here likes his privacy, don’tcha Hog?”

“What’s in it for us?” Hog asked in his booming timber, cutting straight to the point. Rat made a loud huffing noise and pouted in his direction.

“You would be protecting the prince from danger,” Hanzo said.

“And I told you once already, mate, we ain’t good Samaritans. We _could_ just take the prince ourselves like we _wanted_ to in the first place and be done with the both of you. Got a few buyers lined up who’d be itchin’ to get their hands on a prince.”

“That would be foolish,” Hanzo warned. “You have more to gain from helping us than from harming us.”

“Sounds like a load of horseshit to me,” Rat frowned, stroking his chin. “The kinda tall tale someone would tell if they were lookin’ to save their own hides.”

Hog grunted loudly in agreement.

“You misunderstand,” Hanzo clarified, forming his fingers into a steeple. “I am sure you both remember the sort of risks you take by kidnapping the prince. I warned you of them this morning. But, by _aiding_ the prince, you would also be aiding the crown. And, being the smart men that you are, I am sure that you can predict how _generous_ the crown might be in light of such self-sacrifice.”

He shot Jesse a look. _Greedy idiots_ he remembered. And from the slack-jawed look on Rat’s face as his beady eyes shot between them, Hanzo had been right. They were both jumping for the bait the moment it had been laid out.

“My Pa’s gonna be mighty grateful to get me back,” Jesse added, smiling encouragingly. “He’s gonna wanna know how I kept my hide outta trouble. When me an’ Han tell him you two went out of your way to play smoke and mirrors with my would-be murderers? Shit, he’s liable to dump half the treasury into your pockets.”

“H-half the treasury?” Rat bubbled with eagerness, barely able to contain himself. “How...how much we talking?”

Jesse scratched his chin with his prosthetic hand and took his time replying, playing with the long stubble that had taken up residence there. “Got a good number of jewels, last I checked. Gold bars. Too many bags of gold to really count. Used to try and swim in it when I was a kid.”

Rat whooped loudly and slapped both hands together, rubbing his palms as he threw Hog the side-eye.

“You hear that, Hog? _Swimmin’_ in gold and jewels! With that much of the shiny stuff, I’d be able to buy all _kinds_ of toys!”

Hog just grumbled something nondescript, obviously not hooked as securely as Rat but not really willing to pursue the conversation any further. He had been with Rat long enough to know which way this was headed. The big man decided to just warm his hands by the fire and go along for the ride. Jesse was pretty damn thankful for that.

“Alright Fancy-Pants, you got yourself a deal,” Rat said, slapping Jesse hard on the shoulder as he bounded past him to tend to the ruined tripwire. “You and your guard dog can stay, so long as me and Hog get some nice parting gifts after the party’s all over.” After a second, his back went rigid and he spun on his heal to jab a finger in Hanzo’s direction. “But you gotta promise to keep _that one_ out of our affairs, right mate? Me and Hog got a right lucrative business going on here and we ain’t about to have it meddled in by some royal lapdog with his boots on too-tight. Got it?”

Hanzo visibly bristled, but Jesse coolly laughed it off and put a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Don’t you worry,” he comforted. “You’re doin’ us a favor. I’m sure Han will be willin’ to look the other way for now. _Right_ , Han?”

Hanzo looked reluctant to play along, forcing his lips into a fine line while he tightened his jaw. But Jesse gave him another, slightly _less_ gentle squeeze and the knight finally let out a sigh that he’d obviously been holding in for quite some time. _Sacrifices._

“Yes,” he said, flaring his nostrils. “So long as nothing… _extreme_ occurs…I am willing to ignore the more trivial indiscretions for the sake of the prince.”

“Cheers, then!” Rat exclaimed, giving the newly-armed tripwire a little twang with his finger before hobbling past the pair and back to the fire. He settled behind a short, bloodied stump and plucked a patchy-looking rat from a cage nearby. “Grab a seat! Settle in! I was just about to cook up some supper!”

With his eyes still fastened on Hanzo and Jesse and his smile as big as ever, Rat slapped the squirming rat down and lifted a large, rusted cleaver over his head.

Both noblemen rushed forward together, looks of horror on their faces.

“We are not hungry!” Hanzo yelled, followed by a nervous laugh.

“Had a big breakfast!” Jesse added, sighing in relief as the momentary distraction allowed the poor animal to scurry from under Rat’s palm and out through a hole in the alley wall. Rat just scratched his head with one finger and pulled a face, but slapped the cleaver down into the stump again with a loud thud and shrugged.

“Suit yourself!” he acquiesced, getting back to his feet and moving to pull aside a nearby curtain. Hanzo silently recognized them as ones that had been stolen a few weeks back from a neighbor of his, and had to bite his tongue hard to keep from mentioning it.

“Here’ll be your living quarters,” Rat said, doing a spin with his arms outstretched to gesture to the newly exposed area. The corners were lined with stained pillows and there was a tall, cracked mirror leaning against a knotted fencepost. “Sorry it ain’t as _pretty_ as I’m sure you’re both used to, but hell, it’s _free_ and the cushions are soft and it keeps the rain out.”

“It’s fine,” Jesse said with a forced smile. “It’s just what we need.”

“Me an’ Hoggie’ll keep an eye out for intruders,” Rat continued, putting Jesse to shame with the amount of words he could seemingly spit out at once. “Free of charge and all that. Just remember who kept you outta harm’s way when you’re handing out the gold.”

“Will do,” Jesse said, subtly trying to usher the gangly man to the curtain and out of their space.

“And try not to wreck the place,” he said, popping his singed head back in with a suspicious glance between the two of them. “It’s the best room we got. Need someplace presentable for when company comes callin’.”

“What company?” Hog asked. “We don’t get company.”

“Yeah but _they_ don’t know that!” Rat hissed, finally letting the curtain fall back into place. Jesse blew a stray piece of hair out of his face and tossed his hat onto a pile of pillows in the corner, shaking his head in mild amusement while Rat and Hog continued to bicker outside.

“I gotta say, this is the _last_ place I thought I’d be endin’ up tonight,” he commented, flopping down beside his hat and doing his best to ignore the smell. And the way his hand landed in something sticky. And how…oh shit, did something just _move?_

Hanzo followed his lead and settled into the pile across from him, setting his sword to the side. He was, as usual, much more delicate about the whole thing, but was still _just_ as relieved as the prince was.

Finally, after hours and hours, they could stop running. They were both tired, anxious and dirty, but they were relatively _safe._

“You must get some rest,” Hanzo said, crossing his legs and laying his sword across his lap. “We do not know how long this will last. We may have to run sooner than we expect.”

“Easy, Han,” Jesse said with a snicker, reaching over to pat his companion’s knee. “Can’t you just take a minute to appreciate the fact that we’re still alive? Relax a little.”

“I will not keep you alive by relaxing,” Hanzo grumbled, keeping his eyes down. But, much to Jesse’s satisfaction, the knight let his shoulders droop and squirmed his way further into the cushions and into a more comfortable position.

They both sat like that as the sun went down, turning the burgundy haze from the cloth above them into a deep purple. Hanzo had lit stumpy candle near his feet and was taking the time to run his blade over a rough stone to sharpen it. Jesse found a bit of comfort in the steady scraping sound, only occasionally broken by the sound of water pouring over the rock when Hanzo dipped his hand into a puddle. Soon, sunlight was replaced by moonlight, and Jesse fixated his eyes and thoughts with a small split in the ceiling, letting him see the stars.

 

* * *

 

 

“You think I’m gonna be a good king?”

The question surprised even himself now that it was out in the open. Jesse wasn’t sure why he decided to vocalize it, but his thoughts had been in such a tangled ball since night had fallen that it seemed like the right thing to do. Hanzo jumped a little, his hands pausing in their work with the sword. Jesse was pretty sure the knight had thought he’d dozed off. The prince wished he could, but was instead plagued by doubts and worries that he didn’t know he had.

“I believe only you can answer that question,” he responded softly after a moment’s contemplation. He picked right back up where he left off, dipping his hand into the dingy water to coat the stone before sliding his blade over it once more.

“How will I know?” Jesse asked, his brow furrowing.

“I do not know,” Hanzo said, taking the time to pick out his words carefully. “I do not think anyone knows for certain if they will be good at what they were chosen to do. They simply must _do_ it.”

Jesse reached into his pocket and pulled out the short end of a cigar and held it between his teeth, lighting it with a bent match. He watched as the clouds of smoke floated to the opening in the fabric and were sucked out into the open air, becoming one with the night sky.

“I always _knew_ my dad was a good king,” Jesse said with a distant tone to his voice. “Man, when I was growin’ up, he was larger than life. I watched him send men off to war, empty the coffers of wine, and sign fifty decrees all in the span of a day. He’d laugh about sentencing a man to death for stealing bread while I was sitting on his knee, and I always thought _wow, that’s going to be me some day…_ ”

He took another slow puff from his cigar and then held it between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it between them to watch as the air made the embers at the end glow.

“That was a king,” he continued, his voice muddled with smoke as it slipped from between his lips. “I was gonna be _that._ Powerful…untouchable. This confident, strong leader…beyond reproach. Beyond _anything._ It…it never occurred to me that there wasn’t gonna be some magic transformation once I took on the crown. No one was gonna wave some magic wand an’ I was gonna have all the answers. A king is human. My father is _human._ Still able to be wrong…still able to make mistakes. If this is what the world looks like with him runnin’ the show…shit, how the _fuck_ is it gonna be when I’m given the reins?”  

A cricket chirped in the hefty silence. Hanzo sighed and set his sword back in its sheath. Like always, he chose his words carefully, rolling his tongue in his mouth as if testing them out before allowing them to form completely. Jesse was too lost in himself to really expect much of him. The fact that he was listening was help enough, though he would never say that.

“I…told you before that my father was a knight,” Hanzo said, uncertainty coloring his voice before he cleared his throat. “He was exceptional. Famous among the court, infamous on the battlefield. Your father’s father valued his opinion more highly than his most cherished advisors, and often sent him out singlehandedly to solve conflicts that would otherwise be too delicate for most others. I, too, saw him as a god amongst men. Skilled in archery and swordplay, educated and experienced…I longed to be that kind of man. I still do.”

Jesse shifted up to roll onto his elbow, listening intently. This was honestly the most he’d ever heard Hanzo speak since they’d met, and the fact that it was about something so personal just made it something to be cherished.

“When he died, my father called me to his bedside and urged me to listen. He told me to always take care of Genji, to remember where I came from…and most importantly…to forge my own path. He knew that, if I chose it, I could live as nothing more than ‘the Shimada heir.’ But he did not want the world to know me as ‘the son of Sir Sojiro.’ He wanted the world to sing of ‘Sir Hanzo’ when someone asked for tales of adventure.”

“ _That’s_ why you’re so nuts about provin’ your worth,” Jesse said. “Damn, Hanzo.”

Hanzo turned to look at Jesse, and when their eyes met, even in the darkness, Jesse felt the breath pulled from his lungs.

“We are _not_ our fathers, Jesse,” he said seriously. “It is up to _us_ to make our marks on this world. When I become a true knight, I will forge my name into the annals of history through my _own_ exploits. And when you become king? You will be wise to the mistakes of your father and his father before him. You are a _good_ man. You have what it takes inside you to be a good king for your people.”  

Jesse surged forward to kiss him, and Hanzo kissed back. Jesse was breathless and overwhelmed by the time he pulled away, and Hanzo couldn’t help but yank their lips together as soon as he made a move to lean back. Hanzo was flushed and eager, suck on Jesse's tongue while the prince took advantage of having his knight this close. After what seemed like ages, their feverish kissing settled into chaste smooches, both reluctant to let the other move too far away. 

Both companions went back to reveling in silence once the moment had passed, though it was far from awkward. When the sun finally threatened to rise again, Hanzo was asleep with his head on Jesse’s shoulder while the prince played with his hair. He would occasionally press a kiss into the mess of black hair, but otherwise Jesse kept his eyes up to the sky.

The candle had burnt out hours ago. But still, with the stars burning above him and the man of his dreams nestled in his arms, the world had never seemed so bright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have a twitter where i post updates and incessant stupidity: @heysugarmaddy  
> and a tumblr where i do the same thing: sugarmaddy.tumblr.com  
> and a ko-fi if you feel inclined to support a poor college student: ko-fi.com/sugarmaddy
> 
>  
> 
> thanks for reading !!

**Author's Note:**

> you can follow me on twitter for occasional updates and plenty of yammering: @heysugarmaddy  
> or on tumblr: sugarmaddy.tumblr.com  
> or buy me a ko-fi if you feel so inclined: ko-fi.com/sugarmaddy


End file.
